Sunday, April 15, 2018

Dr. Brownstein's Blog

A Ten Year Search for Safe and Effective Stem Cells Has Ended!

I have been interested in stem cell therapy for over a decade.  Yet, I have been hesitant to use them because I was not happy with how most companies were processing  and testing their stem cells. 
Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into any specialized cells.  Stem cells are utilized in the human body to repair and replace old and injured cells.  Stem cells can regenerate tissues in the body which could prove useful for treating a host of chronic illnesses that conventional medicine has struggled with such as:  diabetes, heart disease, burns, cancer, stroke, and arthritis.  In addition, the proper use of stem cells may prove to be able to treat neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injuries.
Due to the potential of stem cell therapy, I became interested in their use many years ago.  I had patients suffering from terrible illnesses travel great distances to try stem cell therapies.  Initially, stem cell therapy was limited in the U.S. because of concerns about their efficacy and safety.  I had patients travel to China, India, and the Caribbean for stem cell therapy.   When I investigated what form of stem cells they were using, I was concerned as I did not believe the stem cells being used were of good quality nor were they properly tested for safety. 
Approximately a year ago, a colleague and friend of mine, Dr. John Trowbridge (Humble, TX) lectured about his success using stem cells from Burst Biologics (https://burstbiologics.com).  I questioned Dr. Trowbridge in detail about Burst  Biologics.  Dr. Trowbridge shared my concerns about the poor quality of most stem cell products on the market.  When I began researching Burst Biologics, I was pleasantly surprised that they were extracting and producing stem cells with the quality control that I was searching for.
There are two major stem cell products available for use now:  Adult and perinatal stem cells. 
Adult stem cells are derived from the fat and bone marrow.  They are widely promoted as safe and effective treatments for a variety of conditions, including the illnesses I previously mentioned. 
I was never thrilled with using adult stem cells as these stem cells are not equivalent to young perinatal stem cells.  Adult stem cells have higher death rates when compared to young stem cells.  Adult stem cells have already passed their true potential and I see little value in injecting forty, fifty, or sixty year old (or older) adult stem cells in order to treat illnesses.  I believe that adult stem cells are overhyped and overpriced therapies that should be more carefully regulated by the FDA.  I have seen many patients receive this therapy and have little or no positive results. 
Perinatal stem cells, made from umbilical cord blood, provide pluripotent, young cells that do have the capacity to regenerate into any tissue form.  Dr. Trowbridge spoke of his success with using perinatal stem cells.  I told him at that meeting, “There are so many terrible stem cell products in the marketplace.  Most of these companies are using old stem cells and not properly testing them for infectious agents including retroviruses.”  He agreed.
Burst Biologics uses perinatal stem cells produced from U.S. mothers who donate their umbilical cords for extracting stem cells from the cord blood. When I investigated Burst Biologics, I was pleased that they far exceeded FDA guidelines on checking their products for infectious agents—especially for retroviruses. 
Although self-harvested stem cells do not need to be tested for infectious agents—it is coming from and going back to the same person–perinatal stem cells do need to be properly tested.  Sadly, many companies who use perinatal stem cells are not adequately testing their products for infectious agents.  They may be following FDA guidelines, but that is simply not enough.  
Another problem with many stem cell companies is how they extract their products.  DMSO is commonly used to preserve stem cells.  However, DMSO has been shown to be toxic to stem cells–in effect, DMSO will kill stem cells.  Why would anyone use DMSO in preparing stem cells?  To cut corners and save money as it is cheaper to use DMSO than other methods which actually preserve the stem cells.  Sadly, most stem cell companies continue to use DMSO in their preparation.  If a company is using DMSO to extract stem cells, I suggest you avoid that product.
Many companies use morcellation to literally grind up an umbilical cord to extract stem cells.  This process destroys the fragile cells and results in the contamination of the final product with debris.  Morcellation should not be used when extracting stem cells.   Similarly, any company that uses morcellation should be avoided. Why would a company use morcellation?  To cut corners and save money.   
In researching Burst Biologics, I found they did not use DMSO nor did they utilize morcellation in deriving their product. 
I spent part of last week visiting the facilities at Burst Biologics in Boise, ID.  Besides a miserable snow storm in Minneapolis, MN, it was a fruitful trip.  I was impressed beyond words at the quality control Burst provides in processing their products as well as ensuring them to be safe.
For the past six months, my partners and I have utilized stem cells from Burst Biologics with satisfying results.  I can recall only one out of many patients who reported no benefit from stem cell therapy.  I would like to provide you with a couple of satisfying results from using perinatal stem cells. 
Jackie is a 79 year-old female who was suffering from congestive heart failure had an ejection fraction of 23% in her heart.  Normal ejection fraction of the heart is between 50-60%.  After three months of stem cells, I saw Jackie back in the office.  At that visit, I commented, “Boy, do you look good!”  A repeat measure of her ejection fraction showed it was up to 55%.
Brenda, at 24 years old, was suffering from severe hair loss and anxiety.  Her hair had been falling out for over a year and she struggled with anxiety for over five years.  After trying numerous therapies, nothing was slowing the hair loss and Brenda was becoming more distressed.   Brenda was injected with stem cells directly into her scalp.  A few hours after the injection, Brenda’s anxiety resolved.  Approximately one month later, her hair loss stopped, and new hair began to reappear.  It has now been six months, and Brenda is very pleased with her hair growth and she is thrilled to have her anxiety gone.
My stepfather, Sy, at 84 years old, was suffering from renal failure.  Sy’s kidney function was worsening on a monthly basis.  He was referred to a nephrologist who was preparing him for dialysis.  After IV stem cell therapies, Sy’s renal function improved by 30%.  It was a remarkable change.  Sy is no longer looking at dialysis in the short term and has repeated his stem cell therapy.
I have also successfully treated patients with severe arthritis with stem cells.
Stem cell therapy is truly a magnificent thing to observe.  However, there are a plethora of bad stem cell products in the marketplace.  I believe the majority of stem cell products available on the market are of poor quality.  Unfortunately, it is the “wild west” out there when it comes to stem cells.  Before you seek stem cell therapy, do your research. Do not rely on slick marketing campaigns.  If your health care provider does not know where or how the stem cells are extracted, then I say it is time to find one that does. If you are a patient of the Center for Holistic Medicine, and would like to learn more about stem cell therapy, please consult with your CHM practitioner.
To All Our Health,
DrB
(By the way, I have no financial interest in Burst Biologics—DrB)

1 comment:

blogger said...

My family is now a brand new one, so stop your worries and go get your medication and set the family free of the deadly disease that hold no respect to family harmony. Make your health a better one by using cannabis oil in your everyday life. contact Dr.Patrick on: ( drpatrickoscar@yandex.com ) for all type of cancer cure