{"id":10263,"date":"2024-03-21T19:53:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/?p=10263"},"modified":"2024-03-21T19:53:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:53:43","slug":"stem-cells-the-key-to-conquering-autoimmune-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/2024\/03\/21\/stem-cells-the-key-to-conquering-autoimmune-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Stem Cells: The Key to Conquering Autoimmune Disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After Nick Evans\u2019 lectures on stem cells and regenerative medicine I was intrigued with the concept of using stem cells to treat autoimmune disease. My mother suffers from rheumatoid arthritis<\/a> and I was under the impression that such conditions had long been considered incurable. I know first-hand how debilitating autoimmune disease can be, and how the side effects of current treatments are almost as severe as suffering the disease itself, which really is heartbreaking. The idea that stem cells could regress or even cure autoimmune disease seemed almost unbelievable, so I had to investigate it further.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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AI-generated interpretation of ‘stem cells in the lab’<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What are stem cells?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stem cells<\/a> are the body\u2019s solution to self-renewal and healing: \u2018blank templates\u2019 which can divide to form many different specialised cell types. Two types of stem cell have distinct therapeutic potential for treating autoimmune disease; Mesenchymal Stem Cells<\/a> (MSCs), which differentiate into connective tissue cells like bone and cartilage, and Hematopoietic Stem Cells<\/a> (HSCs), from which all cell types in the blood are derived.\u00a0





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Living with autoimmune disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Autoimmune diseases<\/a> occur when the immune system, the body\u2019s defense mechanism against foreign cells, cannot tell the difference between body cells and foreign ones, attacking the body\u2019s own cells. There are various forms of autoimmune disease, commonly type 1 diabetes, where the immune system kills insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, or rheumatoid arthritis<\/a> (RA), where connective tissues in joints are destroyed. Nearly 4% of the world\u2019s population<\/strong><\/a> suffers from some kind of autoimmune disease, and in the UK has been found to affect around 1 in 10 people<\/strong><\/a>, – impacting the lives of millions, without hope for a permanent cure.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hand x-ray of advanced rheumatoid arthritis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Current treatments for autoimmune disease serve only to manage symptoms and still bear significant impact on patients’ lives. In the case of RA, common treatment includes a cocktail of anti-inflammatory drugs combined with immunosuppressants<\/a>. From my mother’s experience, I can personally attest as to how severe the side effects can be \u2013 constant headaches, nausea and ceaseless illness from immunosuppression – imagine having somewhere between a cold and flu in perpetuity! In fact, around half of patients quit immunosuppressants after about a year<\/strong><\/a>, opting to just cope with the pain instead. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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