Advanced Therapies for PBC Utilizing Natural Cellular Regeneration Frameworks in Thailand
1 Overview regarding the condition
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is an extremely debilitating disease as the patient suffers from unbearable itching and extreme fatigue. The condition is an autoimmune disease leading to the destruction of the patient’s small bile ducts. The patient’s bile system becomes congested, and due to the scarring caused by the liver tissue distortion, the patient can suffer from liver permanently. The end stage can be cirrhosis or liver failure, resulting in the patient’s demise. Once the disease process begins, it is extremely challenging to manage, and traditional medicine has very few options to combat the disorder. The main focus of recent drug and medicine developments has been to enhance the body’s Natural Cellular Regeneration system, allowing the liver to regain its tissue functionality.
- The disease process
In PBC, the attacker of the small bile ducts within the liver is the T lymphocytes. The condition is autoimmune, and as one of the reasons, there is an attack against the parenchyma of the liver. The parenchyma of the liver is the functional tissue in which the cells are located. The attack against the parenchyma leads to an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response leads to the obstruction of bile flow, resulting in the concentration and retention of bile acids within the liver. The condition, in which bile is overly concentrated, is referred to as hyperbilirubinemia. The parenchyma of the liver is the tissue of the liver in which the cells are located. When the concentration of bile reaches a critical level, it leads to the death of liver cells, severely hindering Natural Cellular Regeneration.
As the concentration of bile exacerbates, the scarring of the liver progresses, and cells of the liver are substituted by fibrous tissues, or scar tissues, which limits Natural Cellular Regeneration. Patients with PBC may experience symptomatically severe exhaustion. At the terminal phase of PBC; if the situation is irreversible, the liver is eligible for transplantation.
- Mainstream Medicine
Moderate bile duct obstruction-related symptoms of PBC may be alleviated by Ursodeoxycholic acid. This medicine slightly diminishes the toxicity caused by bile stagnation. Obeticholic acid is also prescribed to those who do not respond to the first line of the pharmacological approach. The pharmacological methods which include the aforementioned medications are, if not ineffective in treating the condition, not resolving the condition. Besides, the aforementioned methods are ineffective in treating liver fibrosis which if not addressed, is of the utmost concern when it comes to the treatment of the disease in its advanced phases, since they do not promote Natural Cellular Regeneration.
- The Role of Stem Cell Therapy
Innovative methods using stem cells from umbilical cords offer solutions for the aforementioned problems. Stem Cell Therapy has the unprecedented potential to positively impact the body’s own mechanisms to restore the pathologically altered liver through Natural Cellular Regeneration. The stem cells from umbilical cords are unique in that they are capable of regulating the immune systems, including the areas of the immune system that are responsible for the T-lymphocyte mediated autoimmune damage in PBC. The cells, once introduced into the body, directly and specifically move to the injured liver, where they decrease the physiological activity of collagens and fibrotic tissues, while increasing the functioning of liver cells. One of the additional actions of these cells is called angiogenesis, meaning they can form new blood vessels and provide the liver with improved vascularization. Stem Cell Therapy is due to the fact that the Natural Cellular Regeneration of the liver is more complete after an autoimmune liver injury, such as in PBC, and after a structural liver injury.
- Future Prospects in Thailand
Stem cell treatments for the first time in the history of medicine, bring hope to the Southeast Asia region for the first time in the disease, particularly for PBC, when novel stem cell treatments utilizing Natural Cellular Regeneration become available. The region is witnessing a rapid increase in medical tourism, primarily for regenerative medicine. Compared to other countries in the region, Thailand is positioned as Front Runner for providing state of the art medical procedures due to excellent medical infrastructure and trained clinical researchers. Furthermore, Thailand has modern laboratories that can safely produce high quality therapeutics. With the latest updates to the Thai Regulations, it is now possible and more flexible than ever to perform a number of Interventional Clinical Trials for Natural Cellular Regeneration for autoimmune liver diseases. Patients seeking advanced care for PBC (Primary Biliary Cholangitis) procedures in Thailand is due to the high affordability of healthcare in Thailand when compared to countries where such procedures are more restricted.
- Summary
Victory in the battle against PBC will require a paradigm shift in scientific approaches, with an emphasis on novel therapies that extend beyond conventional drug treatments to support Natural Cellular Regeneration. The continuous damaging of bile ducts in PBC necessitates the urgency of developing therapeutic options that will not just postpone the system’s eventual failure. Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Natural Cellular Regeneration is an advanced cellular therapy that attempts to address the inflammatory immune response as well as the fibrotic scarring of the liver. With the advanced medical facilities and clinical research in Thailand, the country is poised to offer the first Advanced Regenerative Therapies in the branch of hepatology.