COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH
STEM CELL RESEARCH – A BEACON OF HOPE FOR MEDICINE
The declared aim of stem cell research is to provide the human body with decisive help for healing. This is because somatic cells promise great potential in regenerative medicine and numerous other medical specialities.
Over 200 types of cells make up our body. Each type of cell has a special function. For example, muscle cells can contract, nerve cells conduct impulses and other cells in our organs fulfil metabolic tasks.
Stem cells, however, differ in that they are not yet specialised in their function. They are primordial, original cells that can mature into a wide variety of other cell types. Stem cells also have a high capacity to multiply. They can also influence their environment and neighbouring cell types by releasing signalling substances. Stem cells also have the ability to accumulate in areas with a lack of oxygen and stimulate the formation of new blood vessels there.
The research team at the ETHIANUM Clinic uses only adult mesenchymal stem cells for its research work. These stem cells are isolated from the body’s own fatty tissue. The outstanding properties of these stem cells make them the new medical beacon of hope, especially in regenerative medicine. Studies on stem cell therapies for heart disease, neurological disorders, diabetes and multiple sclerosis are being conducted around the world. In plastic surgery, stem cell research plays a decisive role in new treatment methods for wound healing disorders, poorly perfused tissue or deep wrinkles, for example.
However, stem cell research also requires a great deal of transparency in communication. Numerous articles and reports have created a myth surrounding the research work. We would like to answer the most important questions about stem cell research and have summarised some facts for you.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
WHAT ARE ADULT STEM CELLS AND EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS?
Adult” (Latin adultur = adult) refers to stem cells from the time of birth. Adult, mesenchymal stem cells are stem cells that are obtained, for example, from fatty tissue, bone marrow or umbilical cord blood.
Embryonic stem cells are also called pluripotent cells. The ability of these stem cells to divide and differentiate is even greater than that of adult, multipotent cells. In Germany, the production, cloning and destruction of human embryos for the purpose of research is prohibited under the Embryo Protection Act. Numerous studies have also shown that embryonic stem cells can degenerate uncontrollably and cause cancer in the body.
At the ETHIANUM Clinic, we stand for responsible research work. For these reasons, we do not use embryonic stem cells. Our research is limited exclusively to adult mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue. There are no ethical or medical issues involved.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
THE PATENTED STEM CELL PROCEDURE – SUCCESS FOR OUR RESEARCH TEAM
Prof Dr Germann’s research team has been granted a patent for a method of using stem cells from adipose tissue. With the project funded by the Hopp Stiftung GmbH, the research team at the ETHIANUM Clinic has thus achieved a milestone in the direction of regenerative stem cell therapy.
This involves a stem cell procedure for the removal of fat stem cells. The procedure differs significantly from the fat transplants that have been used to date, for example, for volume defects following an accident or for breast augmentation with autologous fat.
In the patented stem cell procedure, the body’s own fat stem cells do not come into contact with various foreign proteins, as is usually the case in research. Without this contact, however, the risk of allergic reactions or disease transmission is reduced to an absolute minimum.
Thanks to the patented stem cell process, skin regeneration using the body’s own fat stem cells is within reach, for example in cases of wound healing and circulatory disorders, for the treatment of scars or the consequences of radiotherapy and for bone fracture healing.
The research team continues to dedicate a great deal of commitment and scientific expertise to the question of how treatment with fat stem cells can be carried out. However, this will still take months of research and development.
Read in detail what our patented stem cell procedure is all about.
