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Stem Cells Saved Her Life From CIPD
Stem cell research using a patient's own stem cells has saved a woman from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD). Jennifer Osman received a stem cell transplant in 2005 that has probably saved her life.
CIPD is an inflammation of the nerves that leads to a loss of movement or sensation. Jennifer had given up hope when by chance, she was watching TV and saw a report about a stem cell research program for multiple sclerosis at
Northwestern University with Dr. Richard Burt. The next day, Jennifer called Northwestern and learned they were starting a trial for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a disease similar to MS.
Below, see Jennifer and her loving husband, Rick.
From the
stem cell news story:
The next day, she called Northwestern and learned hospital officials had been searching for qualified CIDP patients to enroll in a similar program.
"This was my first hope for life."
Her request for the experimental research treatment was initially turned down by her insurance company, but several letters from doctors and family members, as well as a financial breakdown of how the experimental program, though pricey, would still be less costly than a lifetime of the approved plasma treatments that weren't working, convinced her HMO to sign off on it.
"I was approved on my birthday," she said.
Though the hospital had been successful in treating MS patients this way, hers was the first such treatment for CIDP. No one knew what to expect.
HOW IT WORKS
In February 2005, the process of collecting stem cells began for Jennifer Osman's experimental treatment. Once doctors had gathered and frozen between 1 million and 2 million stem cells, they would knock out Jennifer's immune system and restart everything with the harvested and treated cells.
The harvesting complete, Jennifer was then blasted with high doses of chemotherapy for five days until her immune system was virtually wiped out.
Once Jennifer's blood count had been zapped, the treated stem cells were injected back into her body. It would take weeks for them to work their way into her bone marrow, creating more healthy cells and, in theory, overtaking the Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy that was attacking her peripheral nervous system.
The Power Of Adult Stem Cells- Americans Need It Now
Jennifer is now perfectly fine thanks to the power of adult stem cells. While so many marvel at the "potential" of embryonic stem cells which are great at creating tumors, adult stem cells are now helping patients improve their quality of life. Jennifer was lucky enough to qualify for a clinical trial, thousands of other Americans are not as lucky as the FDA has made it all, but impossible to get this stem cell treatment