Using your own stem cells to heal your body

Melrymax

Fingers crossed for you sturge.

skezier

Hi sturge

Its always good to hear from you and I so hope they will give you a date and it will work for you. Keep us posted please. Cris x

frogmorton

Sturge

I am so exited to hear your news - fingers crossed for you (and the rest of us too )

Love

Toni xxx

sturge8

In January I fly out to America for a second round of stem cell injections. The same day procedure which I had before has now been modified to potentially produce 10 times more re-injection of stem cells than before. I'm also hoping to get some bone spurs removed via a needle and an injection of stem cells directly into my talar dome osteochondral lesion. I'll still have the pre/post injections too. I'll report back with my results in the Q1 of 2014.

stickywicket

Good luck, sturge! I know the first lot was somewhat disappointing. I hope for better results this time.

Dakky

Fingers crossed for you sturge. Would be amazing if this works and can become a form of regular treatment for patients.

sturge8

Just returned back from the States after a second round of stem cell injections. I was on crutches for a week, today managing to walk with just wearing an ankle brace. New to me this visit was bone spur removal via a drill. I was awake for this too. The doctor numbed my foot, using ultrasound he found the location of the troublesome bone spur and then drilled it off. Much easier than my previous keyhole surgery experiences. He then sedated me and injected stem cells under my cartilage, he gained access by inserting the needle through the back of my ankle. The usual joint space stem cell injections were carried out too, as were the pre and post injections. He kindly gave my Golfers Elbow and my Mallet Toe PRP injections FOC. So all in all, I'm pretty sore now and hoping to respond. I'll keep you posted.

stickywicket

I hope the soreness is starting to wear off now, sturge, and I do hope you get some benefit from the treatment. Whether you do or not you are providing valuable information for others who may be considering this route so thank you.

stevew

Hi All. I have been reading the blog by Sturge and find his experience and sharing of information really helpful. I really feel for him and all of you guys who are shall we say not of my years particularly the really young people who are suffering this dreadful disease. I believe the stem cell treatment is going to be the way forward and I am considering it myself. However it is likely to be some years before it is really going to work and is unlikely to benefit me but i really wish Sturge well in his efforts.
#Steve

sturge8

I've recently been in talks with the doctor in the States and I'm in the process of organising a third visit to the clinic for another round of stem cell injections. Once I have more information, i'll update this thread.

stevew

Hi Sturge. I have followed your postings for some time with a great deal of interest. I have tried the MBST to no real avail and was going to try the cell route. Unfortunately it is difficult to get trustworthy responses to questions that i have and as such I would be keen to read any further posts you place on the site. The very best of all that can be including luck if it brings you some relief.
Steve W

sturge8

Steve

Sorry to hear MBST hasn't helped – I'm due for my annual MBST top up session soon.

Who have you been in contact with and what questions do you have – perhaps I can help.

My MRI's pre and post show big improvement changes to the ligaments due to the stem cell injections but unfortunately my cartilage lesion is still the same.

stevew

Hi Sturge and thanks for your response. My real question regarding stem cell therapy is quite simple and originates from a commercial perspective. If the stem cell treatment works why is it that none of the private health insurers offer this as an alternative to surgery. I asked the same of the MBST therapy providers and none could give an answer. If it worked then surely the commercial interest of the insurers would be better served, by this I mean it would be cheaper than paying for surgery. Maybe I am just cynical but hey ho we pays our money and takes our choice. My wife is an orthopaedic nurse having trained in Cambridge and the surgeon that I am seeing is a guy with whom she has worked. He is of the opinion that the stem cell treatments are being offered with little to back them up by way of research. However I will watch and follow your blog to see how it goes with you. I wish you the absolute best of luck with it all
Steve

sturge8

Quote "Stem cell treatment works" – if only it was that simple.

I don't think simply injecting stem cells into a damaged joint means that it repairs and returns back to how it was when we were 5 years old. First of all you need to understand why a joint is bad in the first place, once you know the cause then you can tackle the symptoms with perhaps the placement of stem cells in the localised area if thats the best way to deal with the problem. BTW I'm sure there will always be a place for surgery.

Issue with my ankle is caused by football injuries. I have a cartilage lesion on my talus, localised OA in my ankle/sub talar joints and knackered ligaments (hopefully now improved a bit). My treatment plans in the past and future involve trying to repair all the elements involved in a joint (soft and hard tissue) and the reasons why its not healing.

Mesenchymal stem cells (these are what I've focussed on) can be harvested from blood, fat and bone marrow. Question out there is, are these the best type to use and from which source do you take them from? How are the stem cells processed and redelivered? These factors are currently being figured out by doctors and scientists. Clinical trials are underway as I type to deliver these answers. So in a nut shell stem cell therapy is at its early stages and can't be offered by private health insurers. TBH some forms of surgery shouldn't be either (but thats a whole other debate).

I've decided to hold fire on anymore surgical interventions (i've had plenty which haven't helped) and try the less invasive stem cell injection options. Some surgeons out there are mastering the arts of merging the two, but I don't fancy the risk just yet.

There are plenty of clinics in Europe who offer stem cell injections but I felt more comfortable visiting the States. Why don't you PM me, let me know your joint issue and I can put you in touch with my USA clinic. Perhaps you can get yourself involved in a clinical trial and have treatment for free.

From my perspective the joint space injections which I am having at best improve the local environment for the joint by reducing the inflammation and slowing down joint damage. Remember my MRI's aren't showing my lesion improving/reducing. The stem cell injections might be buying me time. I think there needs to be a more radical leap forward in the delivery or type of stem cell before I can expect my lesion to fully repair.

If I were you stick with MBST a bit longer, try stem cell therapy and hopefully buy yourself time.

stevew

Hi again Sturge. From what I am told by my surgeon my OA is probably accident induced. I have had quite a few over the years but one in particular involved a friend and I in a stupid prank which culminated in my being on the bonnet of his car and him driving with me being shot off the bonnet at about 20 mph. Oh for the joys of youth. I am currently looking at trying autologous (is that correct) cell injections which are offered locally by another surgeon my wife worked with but as with you it is early days yet and I am not convinced. I know this seems to work with animals given what has been written by several individuals but I am always concious of the chance of fraud when money is involved. Hence my doubt and the need to refer to an individual like you. Please please keep me updated as to the progress that you experience with your treatment and as said before best of luck
Steve

sturge8

Steve, You say you are planning to have autologous cell injections, do you mean autologous stem cell injections?

Where are you based?

I've in the past had autologous blood injections into my tendon to help treat golfers elbow – do you mean this type of injection?

What joint have you injured?

stevew

Hi Sturge. It is my right hip joint which is giving me serious gyp.
I am based in Cambridge.
The injections are as you describe and your spelling is far better than mine
steve

sturge8

I believe you spelt 'autologous' correctly.

As far as I know autologous blood injections are best suited for soft tissue (tendons, ligaments) that kind of thing and not for the joint space. These kind of injections are very basic, literally involve sucking out blood from your arm and re injecting into the area which needs healing. I had this done years ago for my golfers elbow with little improvement.

Platelet Lysate are another type of blood derived injections which I'm yet to have done.

PRP blood derived injections require a machine to separate the red and white cells apart once the blood has been taken. Then white blood cells are re injected and the red discarded.

Stem cell injections are a little more sophisticated as they separate stem cells from fat or bone marrow and discard the waste before re injection.

I wish you the very best of luck, if you want to ask me anything regarding my experiences with this type of treatment please don't hesitate to ask me.