Cell therapy: new hope for treating incurable diseases
Cell therapy, the use of living, purified cells from the patient’s own body to grow, replace, or repair damaged tissues caused by various diseases, is one of the exciting advances in cell therapy in the treatment of cancer.
Therapeutic cells can be used directly to replace damaged or destroyed cells in diseases such as heart disease, neurological diseases, and blood diseases.
These cells can also be used as a platform for gene therapy for genetic diseases. If you want to learn more about cell therapy, stay tuned with us in the rest of the article…
What is cell therapy?
Cell therapy is the use of cells as a treatment for diseases. These cells are usually taken from the patient’s own body or from another person and, after modification, are replaced in the patient. Cell therapy is actually a personalized treatment that uses the patient’s own immune cells to treat cancer.
Cell therapy is the use of cells as a treatment for diseases. These cells are usually taken from the patient’s own body or from another person and, after modification, are replaced in the patient. Cell therapy is actually a personalized treatment that uses the patient’s own immune cells to treat cancer.
Therapeutic cells can be injected directly into the patient or transferred to the patient using technologies such as blood sampling, surface markers, stem cells, and gene therapy.
Principles of cell therapy
Cell therapy is a method that uses living cells as medicine to treat disease. In the treatment of cancer, the inherent ability of the body’s immune cells to seek out and destroy abnormal cells in the body is used. There are many names for this treatment method, such as immune cell therapy or selective cell therapy, but ultimately the treatment method is all the same;
Specialized immune cells are directed and engineered to recognize the unique characteristics of an individual’s cancer, or they are selectively isolated from an individual’s tumors, grown in the laboratory on a large scale, and then infused intravenously into the patient.
History and Advances of Cell Therapy in Medicine
The first steps in cell therapy research began in the 1980s. Initially, research was focused on laboratory settings and animal models, but as time passed and technology advanced, cytotherapy entered clinical applications. Today, numerous clinical studies show that the use of stem cells, either from the patient’s own body or from healthy donors, helps improve the function of damaged tissues and reduce inflammation. These advances have paved the way for widespread applications of cell therapy in the treatment of various diseases.
Cell therapy applications
Cytotherapy is used in various fields, some of the most important of which are:
- Treatment of neurological diseases: The use of stem cells in patients with stroke or spinal cord injuries helps regenerate neural networks and accelerates motor function.
- Cell therapy in the treatment of arthritis and joint problems: Injecting stem cells into damaged joints, such as the knee, reduces pain, inflammation, and increases range of motion.
- The role of cell therapy in improving heart diseases: In patients with heart failure, stem cells improve the pumping function of the heart by regenerating damaged heart tissues.
- Cancer treatment using cell therapy: The use of immunotherapy cells, such as T cells, helps boost the body’s immune system against cancer cells. Although this method is still in the early clinical stages, its initial results have been promising.
- Skin rejuvenation: Stem cells are effective in stimulating collagen production and regenerating skin tissues, thereby reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality.
The experience of patients in specialized cytotherapy centers shows that this method significantly increases the quality of life of individuals.
Advantages of cell therapy over traditional medical methods
Cell therapy has several important advantages over traditional methods. Some of the most important are:
- Natural tissue regeneration: This method stimulates the body’s natural repair process and helps with cellular regeneration.
- Reduced side effects: Compared to invasive surgeries or strong drug therapies, cytotherapy has fewer side effects.
- Increasing the function of damaged tissues: Stem cells help improve tissue function and improve organ function.
- Durability of results: Many studies have shown that the results of cytotherapy are long-lasting and reduce the need for repeated interventions.
- No need for open surgery: Most cytotherapy methods are non-invasive and avoid open surgical procedures.
Is cell therapy suitable for all patients?
Although cell therapy is one of the most advanced treatment methods, its selection requires careful evaluation by teams of medical experts. The clinical conditions, medical history, and general health status of each patient determine whether this method is appropriate or not.
For some patients with genetic disorders or severe infections, cytotherapy may not be appropriate; it is best used as a complementary treatment along with traditional methods. For this reason, careful consultation and comprehensive evaluations by specialist physicians are essential to determine the appropriate choice.
Cell therapy procedures
The cytotherapy process usually includes several important steps, which we will examine together below:
- Cell extraction: The required cells are extracted from the patient’s body tissues, such as bone marrow or fat.
- Cell preparation and proliferation: The extracted cells undergo a proliferation process in the laboratory and reach the desired quality and number.
- Cell injection: Prepared cells are injected into the damaged area, such as the knee joint or heart area.
- Monitoring and physiotherapy: After the injection, the patient is closely monitored and physiotherapy sessions are held to improve the function of the targeted area.
Complications and challenges of cell therapy
Despite its many benefits, cytotherapy comes with challenges and complications, some of which include:
- Complications from cell extraction: such as infection or bleeding at the site of cell extraction
- Immune reactions: There is a possibility of immune reactions, especially in heterogeneous methods.
- High treatment costs: The use of advanced equipment and specialized processes increases the costs of this procedure.
- No guarantee of clinical success: Cytotherapy results are not the same in all patients because the response to treatment varies.
The future of cell therapy
The future of cell therapy looks bright with technological advances in cell engineering and gene editing (such as CRISPR). Ongoing research at prestigious universities is making it possible to improve the process of extracting, propagating, and injecting cells. The use of genetically engineered cells in the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders promises to fundamentally change the course of treatment. With increased patient participation in clinical trials and improved research infrastructure, cytotherapy is expected to become a standard treatment method.
Cells used in cell therapy
Various types of cells are used in cell therapy, including:
- Hematopoietic stem cells
- Skeletal muscle stem cells
- Neural stem cells
- Mesenchymal stem cells (adult stem cells that develop into structures such as connective tissue, blood, lymph cells, bone, and cartilage)
- Enzymes
- Dendritic cells (a type of antigen-presenting cell that plays a role in the adaptive immune system)
- Pancreatic islet cells
Types of cell therapy methods
- Autologous: In autologous cell therapy, cells from the patient’s own body are used.
- Allogeneic: In this method, donor cells obtained from another person are used to treat the patient.
Many treatments used for cell therapy use induced pluripotent cells, which, unlike embryonic-derived pluripotent stem cells, are mature cells taken from skin or blood cells. These cells, through genetic programming in the laboratory, return to a pluripotent state similar to the embryonic state and have the ability to develop and be used into the types of human cells needed.
Stem cells are known as a powerful tool in tissue repair and reconstruction of damaged structures due to their ability to transform into various cells of the body.