Medical Bytes No 98:Â â€œLook after your Stem Cells and they will look after youâ€.

Friday, 3 November 2023, 23:37

Medical Bytes No 98: â€œLook after your Stem Cells and they will look after youâ€.

Originally Published 28/10/2023

The following is a guest editorial and opinion by Doc Martyn, a regular contributor. These are entirely his opinions and statements and may not necessarily reflect those of The Pattaya News Company Limited.

1. Philip came to see me at the behest of Ren, a kind man who is an administrator for the Group: Pattaya City Expats Club, or PCEC for short. This is a fine, compassionate and dynamic group that provides support for its at risk, single, older, frail members who live alone.

Philip suffers from peripheral neuropathy, numbness, in his feet. He was becoming increasingly unsteady.

Ren had become interested in Stem Cell enhancement and he suggested that Philip should try the therapy, which he did. In addition, Ren advised Philip to see me for a medical opinion on his neuropathy.

2. Philip is 88 years old. He is a delightful man who is struggling with his dotage. He has suffered from a slowly progressive bilateral sensory neuropathy in his feet for 8 years.

Early in his illness, a medical assessment confirmed that he was suffering from sensory neuropathy. His blood work indicated that this was caused by an IgM gammopathy, also known as a Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance, or MGUS. A gammopathy is an excess of protein in the blood which is produced by the bone marrow. MGUS mainly occurs in older (>70 years) males. As in Philipâ€™s case, MGUS can cause peripheral neuropathy.

In 1% of sufferers the excess protein production may progress to a cancer, called Multiple Myeloma, or other serious complications.

3. Humans have three nervous systems:

-The Brain or Central Nervous System, the CNS.

-The Peripheral Nervous System, PNS, which controls the body.

-The Autonomic Nervous System, ANS, which controls the organs of the body, e.g. the heart, the bowels, the lungs. The ANS is not relevant to this discussion.

-Although not perfect, to compensate for damage, the brain is capable of neurogenesis, growing new cells, and neuroplasticity, the development of new neural pathways and synapses. Stem Cell mobilisation may benefit this system.

-The nerve cells of the PNS reside in the spinal column, from where the axon of the neuron combines with other axons to form the nerves of the PNS. Some of these axons, and the nerves in which they are contained, are very long indeed, stretching from the spine to the tip of the toes, see photo 1.

If the myelin sheath and axon of a nerve is damaged, termed an axonotmesis, regeneration of the damaged axon is possible, albeit slowly, regenerating at about 25mm/month. Stem Cells do not appear to be active in this process. When a nerve is severed, unless it is sutured early, regeneration will not occur.

In Philipâ€™s case, Stem Cell enhancement will not repair the damage to his PNS. If Stem Cells replaced the damaged nerves from his back to his feet, which will not happen, the nascent cells would be subjected to the same degenerative disorder, his gammopathy, which caused the degeneration of the axons in the first place.

4. So, what can be done for Philip?

Philipâ€™s loss of sensory perception, touch, in his feet means that his brain is deprived of peripheral sensory input, termed proprioception.

In humans, there are two types of proprioception:

-Conscious proprioception realised by the Cerebrum, the Neo(new)-Cortex of the human brain, see photo 2, and

-Unconscious proprioception, realised in the Cerebellum, or HindBrain, see photo 3.

During Philipâ€™s first consultation, as he struggled with his walking stick to the chair, his loss of unconscious proprioception was evident. His brain was using the conscious proprioception of his eyesight to orientate itself.

When this conscious perception is lost his brain will seek input from its unconscious proprioception.

I asked Philip to stand then close his eyes. To compensate for the loss of input from his eyes, his brain made his body sway gently from side to side. By doing this, his brain received positional unconscious proprioception from his knees and hips.

The simple eye closing test indicated that Philipâ€™s balance was significantly compromised. He was at risk of fall and hip fracture, which at his age, can result in death, not from the fracture per se, but the complications arising from the same.

To improve his stability, I asked Philip to replace his walking stick with a â€˜4-footedâ€™ walking stick for outdoor use, which he did, see photo 4. He already owned a Zimmer Frame which he used at home.

He will continue to use his TENS machine to stimulate his degenerated nerves but, alas, with a Gammopathy induced peripheral nerve damage, benefit may not be realised.

In the interim, Philip is having additional blood work to assess his cancer status.

5. Since the origin of dinosaurs/reptiles 500 million years ago and mammals 210 million years ago, Stem Cells have been producing and saving lives:

The elegant process of fertilisation, when the sperm and egg join to form a single Embryonic (aka Pluripotent) Stem Cell. This single cell then multiplies to produce a complete living human being.

The ordinary Stem Cells, the subject of this discussion, are mainly produced by and survive in the bone marrow, until called upon to repair damaged tissue.

6. About 300,000 years ago, in Africa, a subdivision of the Hominin group developed an enlarged forebrain, Neo-Cortex. This deviation produced humans, Homo Sapiens (Latin: â€˜Wise Manâ€™). Their enlarged forebrain, cerebrum, separated them from the other Hominin groups; Homo erectus, Homo habilis etc.

Early humans spent a large part of their day gathering plants and hunting or scavenging animals. If successful, they would eat that day.

About 164,000 years ago humans started collecting and cooking shellfish.

About 12,000 years ago, humans changed from being hunter gatherers to farming and herding. Courtesy of our large forebrain we began to produce food and to change the natural Landscape. Humans are the only animal capable of transforming the surface of the Earth.

This transition to farming heralded the beginning of the end for the adapted lives of our species. Food became plentiful and wholesome. Then it became processed and convenient, but lacked adequate nutritional benefit.

Moving forward to the present day; indulgence and gluttony (humans were never meant to consume 3+ meals/day) now prevail. Humans suffer medically from this largesse, as do their Stem Cells.

7. If you wish to improve your health and that of your Stem Cells, and your longevity, follow the behaviour of your distant ancestors; exercise and intermittent fasting. In addition, they did not smoke and they did not drink alcohol. Cease extravagance, greed, gluttony and slothfulness. Respect yourself and treat your body as a temple.

Other specific ways to improve Stem Cell enhancement include: Stop all stress, stop sugar, eat a Mediterranean diet, drink tea (green or black) and consume cacao 85(+)% cooking chocolate daily, see photo 5. These changes should help your quest.

8. Returning to Philip; if his haematology indicates that he has cancer in his bone marrow, then Renâ€™s adjuvant Stem Cell enhancement therapy will be both advantageous and beneficial.

Healthy and functioning Stem Cells are a necessity.

â€œLook after your Stem Cells and they will look after youâ€.