Introduction to the Global Challenge
Neurodegenerative disorders cause significant issues for healthcare at a global level. Alzheimer’s Disease causes the gradual loss of cognitive functions, increasing dependence on others for daily living tasks and ultimately leads to loss of identity. Family members suffer physical, emotional, and financial burdens as they witness the degradation of their family member and provide ongoing support. Existing medication provides temporary relief of symptoms and fails to address ongoing neuronal damage and decay of the individual. There is an absence of meaningful progress in the development of effective Alzheimer’s disease medication. As the field of regenerative medicine advances and focuses on the repair and improvement of existing physiological systems, the introduction of therapies involving the use of umbilical cord mesenchymal Stem Cells (UC-MSCs) provides an exciting new avenue for research. This specific Stem Cell has the unique ability to traverse blood-brain barriers and address the underlying causes of various neurodegenerative conditions.
Complex Biological Mechanisms
It is important to understand the complexity and nuances of the pathophysiological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease for an adequate response via Stem Cell therapy. The hallmark of the disease is the deposit of extracellular Amyloid-β and intracellular Tau aggregates, which UC-MSCs aim to clear. The Tau aggregates form intracellular trans-neuronal blockades and cause synaptic malfunction, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis. Following the degeneration of tissue, neuroinflammatory microglia become activated and phagocytic as they release proinflammatory cytokines. Not only does oxidative stress contribute to the collapse of neural metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease, but it also impacts the mitochondria. The brain can no longer repair or grow new neural connections. This cycle of toxic cellular behavior can only be successfully repaired by a Stem Cell intervention like UC-MSCs that can cross the blood-brain barrier and repair the brain.
Methods of Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Current treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease focus on providing short-term treatment for cognitive function, lacking the regenerative power of a Stem Cell. Traditional methods focus on prescribing cholinesterase inhibitors or NMDA receptor antagonists. This alters the balance of some neurotransmitters. Improving memory or functioning briefly is better than nothing. However, this offers no solution for the degenerative disease, unlike UC-MSCs. Gastrointestinal and cardiac problems are issues patients experience after a drug tolerance is reached. This barrier of treatment is the inability to remove toxic agents from the body and control the body’s immune response to the disease. If the biological illness of the patient deteriorates further, these medicinal practices are completely useless. It is a known fact that the physical illness of a patient continues to progress.
Potential for Reverse Therapy
The use of a specific type of Stem Cell can completely alter the practice of traditional medicine. UC-MSCs, or umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal Stem Cells, exhibit extraordinary neuroprotective and immunomodulatory capabilities that directly target and oppose the negative effects of Alzheimer’s disease. UC-MSCs, unlike traditional medications, use a paracrine signaling system.
UC-MSCs release a variety of neurotrophic factors, including BDNF and NGF, that stimulate neurogenesis and promote the survival of existing neurons in Alzheimer’s disease. Notably, this Stem Cell can alter the adverse microenvironment within the brain. Their release of anti-inflammatory extracellular vesicles modulates the immune system and transforms overactive microglia from a harmful state to a clearing type. This promotes the accelerated removal of amyloid-β plaques. Within the same microenvironment, the Stem Cell treatment inhibits harmful inflammation and promotes strong synaptic plasticity. Stem Cell treatments provide a solution to systemic problems that current therapeutic interventions cannot address. Coupled with their rapid proliferation and low immunogenicity, these factors position UC-MSCs as the most promising agents for cellular therapeutic interventions for neurorehabilitation.
Figure 1: Methods of Alzheimer’s disease treatment
Neurorestorative therapies are rapidly developing and Southeast Asia is likely to be the first region to develop and implement these therapies. Thailand will likely be the most developed country in South East Asia for utilizing UC-MSCs therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease within the near future. Thailand has a world-class medical system that is coupled with research and development institutes of biotechnology. Thai law has been designed to protect participants in research studies and fast-track Stem Cell studies. Additionally, the regulatory environment, supply chain, research, and production capabilities for Stem Cell therapies position Thailand as the leading country to develop and commercialize advanced therapies for medical tourism. Thailand’s advanced research coupled with its progressive and flexible regulatory environment position it as the leader in Stem Cell research and therapies.
The relentless advancement of Alzheimer’s disease requires us to go beyond the current palliative approaches and explore Stem Cell options like UC-MSCs. The application of advanced Stem Cell technology harnessing the unique regenerative capabilities of Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (UC-MSCs) opens up options for the Alzheimer’s disease challenge for the first time. This technique combats neurodegeneration by directly removing neurotoxic buildups and resolving cellular dysregulation, and offers the unprecedented opportunity for a reset and restoration of cellular systems. The active clinical environment in Thailand hastens the accessibility of these techniques around the world. The commitment to the regenerative biological sciences will further develop these breakthrough therapies to the point where they can be used to restore millions.