61 Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Received Stem Cell Therapy, And Their Indicators Improved Significantly After Two Weeks!

Jun 28, 2024

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious disease in which the patient's renal function progressively declines and is often associated with an increased risk of heart disease or stroke. According to statistics, the disease affects nearly 850 million people worldwide.


In my country, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in adults is about 10.8%. According to the total population of China, there are about 150 million patients, but only 12.5% of patients seek medical treatment, and only 7.5% of patients have received treatment. Chronic kidney disease imposes a great disease and economic burden on individuals, families and society due to its high prevalence, long course of disease, lack of effective drug treatment and other factors.

Click to Cistanche for kidney disease

There is no specific treatment for CKD, so most patients continue to progress to end-stage renal failure, mainly treated with renal dialysis. However, there are many problems, such as high dialysis costs, lack of donor sources, large side effects of immunosuppressants, high drug maintenance costs, and high surgical costs.


In recent years, the incidence of acute and chronic kidney disease in my country has been increasing year by year. Therefore, it is urgent to find more effective interventions for kidney disease and promote kidney tissue repair in clinical practice.


Stem cells are currently a hot topic in the field of regenerative medicine, the most exciting research field in biomedical research today, and the most promising frontier discipline.


Stem cells are also increasingly valued by the medical community in the field of kidney disease. At present, stem cells for diabetic nephropathy and lupus nephritis have successively entered the clinical stage of stem cell registration in my country, and multi-center clinical research methods have been carried out to improve the true effectiveness of clinical trials.


Stem cells have gradually shown good research results in the basic research of kidney diseases such as chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, diabetic nephropathy, and renal fibrosis, laying the foundation for clinical application.

Characteristics and advantages of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult stem cells originating from the mesoderm with self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation potential. Their sources mainly include umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, placenta, etc. MSCs show fibroblast morphology, are long spindle-shaped or spindle-shaped, grow adherently, and have a high level of selective paracrine. MSCs have strong self-renewal ability, low immunogenicity and no rejection reaction, which makes them more advantageous in stem cell research and transformation application.

So far, existing studies have confirmed that mesenchymal stem cells have strong anti-inflammatory properties and immunomodulatory functions, and have great advantages in intervening in various kidney diseases.

Differentiation effect:

Due to the homing effect, stem cells will automatically attach to kidney lesions and differentiate into renal intrinsic cells, renal parenchymal cells, glomerular epithelial cells, etc., thereby repairing damaged kidneys, rebuilding renal blood circulation, and improving renal function.

Paracrine effect:

The released active factors will also stimulate renal cells to secrete erythropoietin, which can promote the production of red blood cells, thus alleviating the anemia of the body.

Immunomodulatory effect:

Stem cells have the function of immunomodulation, which can effectively alleviate the symptoms of glomerulonephritis to achieve the improvement of the kidneys.

The latest progress of mesenchymal stem cell intervention in kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney structural and functional disorders caused by various reasons for ≥3 months become chronic kidney disease, and the main indicator is glomerular filtration rate GFR <60mL/min.


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common disease among adults in my country. The patient population is large and increases at a rate of 10% per year. Failure to intervene in chronic kidney disease in a timely manner may lead to uremia. It is understood that about 90% of people in my country do not know that they have "chronic kidney disease".


Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC) mainly promote damage repair through directional homing and differentiation, secretion of cytokines and nutrients, which can reduce oxidative damage and local expression of inflammatory cytokines, and increase the pool of regulated T lymphocytes, thereby inhibiting chronic inflammatory reactions and promoting the regeneration rate of renal tubular epithelium.


A large number of preclinical animal chronic kidney disease model cell experiments have shown that even if exogenous UCMSCs are less distributed in renal tissue, the results also show a certain therapeutic effect, which can promote renal vascular microcirculation, improve renal function, and promote renal injury repair through a series of complex mechanisms, delaying the progression of CKD. Studies have also found that these mechanisms of action of mesenchymal stem cells are more derived from their "paracrine" characteristics rather than replication and differentiation potential.

Acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important disease that seriously endangers health. In recent years, its incidence has tended to increase year by year.


Severe AKI has a high mortality rate and poor prognosis, and about 50% eventually progress to uremia. AKI also increases complications in various systems of the body and costs a lot of medical care. AKI lacks effective treatment methods. Clinically, it usually removes the cause, corrects reversible risk factors, and performs symptomatic treatment, supportive treatment or renal replacement therapy. At present, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of AKI at home and abroad, which cannot reduce the existing kidney damage, promote the normal repair of damaged cells, or inhibit pathological repair.

Evidence-based medical research shows that renal replacement therapy, regardless of the early or late start time and different dosages, has not been proven to improve AKI patients and renal prognosis. Therefore, studying new intervention methods for AKI is crucial to reducing patient mortality and improving renal prognosis. Mesenchymal stem cells have strong anti-inflammatory properties and immunomodulatory functions, and have great advantages in intervening in a variety of kidney diseases.

Clinical research case

61 patients with chronic kidney disease were transplanted with stem cells. After two weeks, the patients' blood β2-MG, urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid and other indicators decreased, and urine β2-MG, IgG, Alb, THP, 24h urine protein, 24h albumin excretion and other indicators also changed, proving that the patients' renal function improved and stem cells are effective in treating CKD.

How Does Cistanche Treat Kidney Disease?

Cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat various health conditions, including kidney disease. It is derived from the dried stems of Cistanche deserticola, a plant native to the deserts of China and Mongolia. The main active components of cistanche are phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside, and acteoside, which have been found to have beneficial effects on kidney health.

 

Kidney disease, also known as renal disease, refers to a condition in which the kidneys are not functioning properly. This can result in a buildup of waste products and toxins in the body, leading to various symptoms and complications. Cistanche may help treat kidney disease ase through several mechanisms.

 

Firstly, cistanche has been found to have diuretic properties, meaning it can increase urine production and help eliminate waste products from the body. This can help relieve the burden on the kidneys and prevent the buildup of toxins. By promoting diuresis, cistanche may also help Reduce high blood pressure, a common complication of kidney disease.

 

Moreover, cistanche has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's antioxidant defenses, plays a key role in the progression of kidney disease. ies help neutralize free radicals and reduce Oxidative stress, thereby protecting the kidneys from damage. The phenylethanoid glycosides found in cistanche have been particularly effective in scavenging free radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

 

Additionally, cistanche has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation is another key factor in the development and progression of kidney disease. Cistanche's anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit the activation of inflammation mandatory pathways, thus alleviating inflammation in the kidneys.

 

Furthermore, cistanche has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. In kidney disease, the immune system can be dysregulated, leading to excessive inflammation and tissue damage. Cistanche helps regulate the immune response by modulating the production and activity of immune cells, such as T cells and macrophages. This immune regulation helps reduce inflammation and prevent further damage to the kidneys.

 

Moreover, cistanche has been found to improve renal function by promoting the regeneration of renal tubes with cells. Renal tubular epithelial cells play a crucial role in the filtration and reabsorption of waste products and electrolytes. In kidney disease, these cells can be damaged, leading to damaged renal function. Cistanche's ability to promote the regeneration of these cells helps restore proper renal function and improve overall kidney health.

 

In addition to these direct effects on the kidneys, cistanche has been found to have beneficial effects on other organs and systems in the body. This holistic approach to health is particularly important in kidney disease, as the condition often affects multiple organs and systems. che has been shown to have protective effects on the liver, heart, and blood vessels, which are commonly affected by kidney disease. By promoting the health of these organs, cistanche helps improve overall kidney function and prevent further complications.

 

In conclusion, cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat kidney disease. Its active components have diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative effects, which help improve renal function and protect the kidneys from further damage. , cistanche has beneficial effects on other organs and systems, making it a holistic approach to treating kidney disease.

You Might Also Like