| Imagine that you are a mother and you just gave | | | | placed underneath the skin and closed with a suture. |
| birth. You can make a very important decision that | | | | There are billions of stem cells in the tissue that go |
| can affect the lives and health of many people. The | | | | to work replacing damaged cells throughout the body. |
| placenta (afterbirth) that was the uterine home of | | | | Within three months, Diana reported a decline in her |
| your living, loving newborn is no longer needed by | | | | urine protein levels. Her US doctors were amazed |
| your baby. However, the stem cells it contains are | | | | when her blood tests showed that her kidney |
| valuable to people who are receiving placental stem | | | | function was normal and told her to keep doing |
| cell treatments. | | | | whatever she was doing. She continues to have one |
| These life-giving cells can be used to treat a variety | | | | treatment per year to keep the disease in check. |
| of conditions and diseases such as ALS, cancer, | | | | Today, her protein level is 85 mgs in a 24-hour period |
| cerebral palsy, dermatomyositis, diabetes, gangrene, | | | | (normal range is up to 150 mgs) without edema or |
| hepatitis C, HIV, immune deficiency, multiple sclerosis, | | | | the use of steroids. |
| migraines, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, retinitis | | | | Stem cells are the foundation of normal growth and |
| pigmentosa, rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida, and | | | | development of any organism and serve as a |
| stroke. But, that's only if you travel outside the US. | | | | biological repair system for the body. When a stem |
| While US researchers and politicians debate the | | | | cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either |
| potential of stem cells, over 2,000 patients from the | | | | remain a stem cell or become another type of cell |
| US and around the world have actually been treated | | | | with a more specialized function such as a muscle cell, |
| and many healed with non-controversial placental | | | | a red blood cell, a nerve cell, or a heart cell. Some |
| stem cells. Thanks to International Stem Cell Institute | | | | research has indicated that placenta stem cells are |
| (ISCI), there's no need to wait until the FDA | | | | multipotent which may explain the effectiveness of |
| approves legislation to receive stem cell therapy. If | | | | this treatment. |
| you are willing to travel, stem cell treatment using | | | | The placenta tissue, also known as afterbirth, comes |
| non-controversial stem cells from placenta is already | | | | from a hospital in Mexico. Once considered medical |
| available in Mexico. | | | | garbage, this tissue is now being harvested with |
| A 51-year-old Houston woman named Diana Salinas | | | | mothers' consent after delivering full-term, live, |
| was 32 when she had a kidney biopsy that returned | | | | healthy babies. Since this tissue is taken after the |
| a diagnosis of Nephrotic Syndrome | | | | baby is born, the fetus or embryo is in no way |
| (Glomerulonephrytis Proliferating Type II). This | | | | harmed by the collection of this leftover tissue. Once |
| condition causes severe protein loss through the | | | | the placenta is harvested, extensive testing is |
| urine. Diana was losing up to 7,000 mgs of protein | | | | performed by an independent lab to ensure the |
| during a 24-hour period and was very sick. Her | | | | tissue is free of viruses. A certified laboratory |
| nephrologists expected that she would be in dialysis | | | | performs tissue testing that exceeds the strict |
| and/or have a kidney transplant within four to five | | | | standards required by international law. |
| years. She had edema all over her body including her | | | | Since stem cells derived from placenta are not |
| lungs and had been taking 100 mgs of steroids for | | | | capable of inducing a specific immune response, |
| several years before she decided to try stem cell | | | | rejection of the stem cells is impossible. The placenta |
| therapy. | | | | tissue is recognized and accepted by all patients and |
| In 1992, Diana came to ISCI in Mexico and had her | | | | does not have to be typed; however, customized |
| first human placenta stem cell treatment. The | | | | and strategic placement of the tissue is used to |
| 40-minute procedure requires a small incision to be | | | | target specific conditions for each patient. |
| made in various locations on the body and tissue is | | | | |