Neurological Conditions

Stromal vascular fraction is a component of lipoaspirate, which is fat cells obtained from liposuction of excess adipose tissue. Lipoaspirate contains stem cells, which have the capacity for multilineage differentiation. SVFs are being used for many neurological conditions.

• Harvest – The doctor administers twilight anesthesia to the patient. After a small incision is made on the body, 100-200 milliliters of adipose tissue are harvested.
• Separate – With advanced protocols, the stromal vascular fraction with adult stem cells is separated from the macrophages, fat cells, and other tissue components. This is done in the laboratory using centrifugation.
• Isolation – Adult stem cells are isolated from SVF using multi-filtration protocols in the laboratory.
• Activation – The isolated stem cells are then added to that patient’s own platelet-rich plasma, and the solution is activated with a low light laser.
• Infusion – The activated stem cell solution is administered via infusion or through customized administration measures.

Adipose tissue yields a much higher number of stem cells than blood or bone marrow. In 200 milliliters of adipose tissue, there are millions of dormant stem cells. Bone marrow only yields thousands. In addition, patients receive their own stem cells, so there is low risk for a reaction or adverse immune event. MSCs have been proven to transform into other types of cells, which mean they can become nerve cells to treat neurological conditions.

Stem cells are infused into the bloodstream, and also, injected into localized tissues. Stem cells are attracted to signals from inflammatory cells. Distressed signals also trigger stem cells to differentiate into other cells. These differentiation cells will integrate with target tissues, such as nerves, cartilage, and bone.

• Multiple sclerosis – This condition involves destruction of the myelin sheath, which surrounds nerves and causes major disability. In clinical studies, stem cells implanted into an injured spinal cord were found to generate new neurons (nerve cells), as well as oligodendryocytes. This led to locomotor and mobility recovery.
  
  
  Recent studies performed by CSN have shown great promise for SVF-derived stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Over the course of two years, multiple sclerosis patients that were treated by CSN showed a 52% reduction in MISS-29 scores.  For instance, at the beginning of the study average baseline MISS-29 scores nearly reached 90, with follow up scores 2 years later averaging below 40.

• Parkinson’s disease – With this disease, there is gradual loss of dopamine-containing nerve cells and degeneration of some other neurons. This causes rigidity, tremor, loss of mobility, and postural instability. Stem cells have been found to offer long-lasting improvement through regeneration of nerve cells. In a study involving rats, the implantation of stem cells into brains resulted in lesion repair.
  
  
  Like multiple sclerosis, CSN patients that have undergone treatment for Parkinson ’s disease have shown improvement. At present, the CSN success rate for treating Parkinson’s disease is 64.80%.

• Stroke – An ischemic stroke results in loss of function of one side of the body. Researchers have transplanted progenitor cells into the brains of mice following a stroke and found they differentiated into glial and neuron cells, which re-established connections with targeted brain regions.
  
  
  CSN patients that have been treated for complications of stroke with autologous stem cells have experienced a success rate of 55%.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – This results in degeneration and dysfunction of motor neurons of the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and brainstem. Stem cell therapy has been proven to establish functional synapses in rat subjects. When stem cells were delivered into the cerebrospinal fluid of rats with motor neuro injury, the researchers found the cells migrated to the spinal cord and induced motor function recovery through neuroprotective mechanisms.

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)

• Post Concussion Syndrome

• Stroke Recovery

Lindvall O & Kokaia Z (2006). Stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders. Nature, 441(29).