By Dave Warner
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) can be a serious issue, and if it’s not treated patients can develop gangrene, face amputation, and be at risk for stroke and even death.
It’s a condition that many people first notice when they begin to feel cramping in their hips, thighs or calves when they exercise.
Traditionally, PAD has been treated with lifestyle changes and medication.
Now, however, a new treatment for the estimated 10 million PAD sufferers is looming on the horizon, thanks to a clinical trial at the Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Doctors took specialized stem cells from the hips of patients, separated them, and then injected those cells into the blocked arteries that were causing the problem. They were hoping to see if the stem cells would spur the growth of new blood vessels, thereby bypassing clogged and narrowed arteries.
The blood vessels become clogged when plaque – which consists of fat, cholesterol, calcium and fibrous tissues – builds up and hardens. That narrows the arteries and limits the flow of blood. PAD is most common in the legs, but can also occur elsewhere in the body.
Of the nine patients in the trial, six avoided major amputation, which means they did not lose any part of their legs. Minor amputation means the loss of toes. Overall, 16 people have now received the treatment, and 13 of them avoided major amputation.
The procedure is considered minimally invasive, and relatively quick because doctors used stem cells from the patients rather than growing them in a laboratory.
Stem cells work their magic by being able to renew themselves through cell division. They are highly valued by medical science because they can develop into many different types of cells in the body, and so can serve as a kind of internal repair system.
Someday, they may be used to treat other diseases as well, such as diabetes and heart disease.
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