Stem Cell Therapy for Celiac Disease - Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy for Celiac Disease Abroad

Celiac disease, Coeliac Disease or Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

For patients suffering from this disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in their small intestine. Over time, this reaction damages the small intestine's lining and prevents absorption of some nutrients (malabsorption). The intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. In children, malabsorption can affect growth and development, in addition to the symptoms seen in adults.

Types of Celiac Disease

Nonresponsive celiac disease

Almost 30% of people with celiac disease may not be able to maintain a good response to a gluten-free diet. This is known as nonresponsive celiac disease and is often due to contamination of the diet with gluten. Therefore it's important to work with a dietitian.

People with nonresponsive celiac disease may have additional conditions, such as bacteria in the small intestine (bacterial overgrowth), microscopic colitis, poor pancreas function, irritable bowel syndrome or intolerance to disaccharides (lactose and fructose). Or, they may have refractory celiac disease.

Refractory celiac disease

In rare instances, the intestinal injury of celiac disease persists and leads to substantial malabsorption, even though the patient has followed a strict gluten-free diet. This combination is known as refractory celiac disease.

If the patient continues to experience signs and symptoms despite following a gluten-free diet for six months to one year, the doctor may recommend further testing and a treatment with a steroid to reduce intestinal inflammation, or a medication that suppresses your immune system.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

More than half of adults with celiac disease have signs and symptoms that are not related to the digestive system, including:

• Anemia, usually resulting from iron deficiency
• Loss of bone density (osteoporosis) or softening of bone (osteomalacia)
• Itchy, blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Damage to dental enamel
• Mouth ulcers
• Headaches and fatigue
• Nervous system injury, including numbness and tingling in the feet and hands, possible problems with balance, and cognitive impairment
• Joint pain
• Reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism)
• Acid reflux and heartburn

Children

In children under 2 years old, typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Vomiting
• Chronic diarrhea
• Swollen belly
• Failure to thrive
• Poor appetite
• Muscle wasting

Causes of Celiac Disease

• Interaction between genes, eating foods with gluten and other environmental factors
• Infant feeding practices
• Gastrointestinal infections
• Gut bacteria
• Surgery
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Viral infection
• Severe emotional stress

When the body's immune system overreacts to gluten in food, the reaction damages the tiny, hair-like projections called villi that line the small intestine. Villi absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food you eat. If your villi are damaged, you can't get enough nutrients, no matter how much you eat.

Stem Cell Therapy for Celiac Disease

Currently the treatments available for autoimmune diseases, is based on immunosuppressive agents like steroids and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, which are aimed at managing symptoms. This method can temporarily lessen the effects of the disease, but it does not work for all patients, leaving them at high risk of contracting infections.

Because of their unique biological properties, mesenchymal stem cells have shown tremendous promise in stem cell-based gene therapy approaches in recent years, and applications targeting other autoimmune diseases.

Gene therapy using mesenchymal stem cells for Celiac disease is showing promise in studies. These stem cells can be isolated from several easily accessible tissues, and can migrate to the affected areas of tissue damage, where they release beneficial factors of their own. They can also be easily manipulated to express other factors.  researchers are discovering that by removing faulty mature immune cells and returning young, healthy stem cells to the body, a healthy immune system can be restored.

Cost

The cost of the treatment for Celiac disease depends on the type of treatment your doctor decides you need. Individuals traveling to foreign destinations such as Mexico, Latin America, and Asia may enjoy between 30% and 50% savings on costs compared to the US and Canada on the same type of procedure, which include all inclusive hospital /hotel stay, care, and medical support.

Doctors

Many facilities worldwide offer stem cell therapy, but it's important to locate accredited and experienced physicians who deal with stem cell treatments. Doctors specializing in Stem Cell Therapy and neurodegenerative disease processes should be trained, certified and accredited through country of origin or international accreditation and certification boards and should also belong to organizations or associations of their specialty.

If you want to know more about the Stem Cell Therapy for Celiac Disease, please contact us!