The production and application of stem cells, a person's original, undifferentiated cells before they branch out to become some part of the body, such as an eye, heart or lung, will achieve a significant breakthrough in organ production for genetics, plastic surgery and orthopaedics in the near future. As one of the most exciting aspects of regenerative medicine, stem cells will lead to major innovations within 10 years. There are trillions of cells in the human body. Some of these cells are in organs such as the liver, kidney and central nervous system in the brain and maintain the functionality of these organs. However, there are cells in these organs that have no function and these are called primitive cells. These are stem cells. Prof. Erdal Karaöz MD, PhD, Head of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Research and Therapy at Liv Hospital says, "We have achieved successful results with the use of stem cells in cartilage lesions in orthopedics, plastic surgery, burns, suppurative wounds, diabetic foot problems and cardiac problems." Prof. Erdal Karaöz MD, PhD explains stem cells in detail.
What are stem cells used for in modern times?
Stem cell therapy is used in cosmetics, plastic surgery, orthopedics, dermatology and blood diseases. There are some incurable diseases of the central nervous system, such as spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscle diseases and organ failure, which have the potential to be cured with stem cell therapy. All such patients are waiting for approved treatment protocols.
Can stem cells cause cancer?
Stem cells can be derived from a variety of sources. Stem cells taken from the human body are not known to cause cancer. However, if they are extracted from human embryos (embryonic stem cells) and even one of them is transferred into the human body indiscriminately, it can cause a teratoma, which is a non-malignant tumor.
How is stem cell therapy administered?
The first type of administration is the method in which tissue is taken from the patient and turned back after it has been processed. This therapy is not only performed with stem cells, but also with fat from the abdomen obtained through liposuction in plastic surgery. In the second application, the stem cells are replicated and then go through a quality control process in a laboratory after being differentiated from the tissue. At this stage, millions of stem cells are created. The stem cells are then infused into the patient. For example, we inject them into the heart to renew dead heart tissue.
Are the stem cells given to the person they belong to?
Traditionally, they are injected into the person who generated them. However, if stem cells from one person's bone marrow, fat tissue, hair or teeth are injected into another, the cells are not perceived as foreign cells by the body.
Is it possible to transplant stem cells after they have been stored for 20 years?
In theory, it is possible. Some of them can be used in a patient's transplant after the required amount has been reproduced, and some of them can be transplanted as a second and third dose after the results of pathological tests reveal that the treatment was not successful.