Let's be aware that cell therapy is practiced every day all over the world. Blood
transfusion and the transfusion of various other blood components, such as red
blood cells, white blood cells, blood platelets, is actually a form of cell therapy
where the acceptance has been uniformly widespread. Less commonly, implant
of the cells of the thymus have been utilized -essentially without as much as the
wink of the eye of the medical authorities.
It is in Niehans cell therapy, where cells of various organs of the body are being
injected into a human being, where there is a problem, particularly in the United
States and Canada. All other civilized countries of the world accept cell therapy.
Cell therapy is actually an implantation by injection of xenogenic (of animal
origin) fetal or juvenile suspensions of cells or tissues in physiological solution.
No one knows exactly how cell therapy works. Basically, cell therapy is
transplanting an organ; but instead of actually transplanting an organ, you are
transplanting the cells of an organ. The transplanted cells then somehow bring
about the revitalization of their corresponding organs.
We do not know all that there is yet to know about cell therapy. But we do
know that the implantation by injection has the following advantages over
conventional procedure of surgical transplant:
1. Implantation of cells by injection brings about a rapid dispersion of the cell
material all over the body.
2. The cells are not injured due to lack of blood supplies during the dispersion,
which is very commonly the reason for the death of cells after the organ
transplant.
3. Since the cells are injected in the form of suspension, a rapid incorporation
into the metabolic processes of the body occurs.
4. Organs that are impossible to transplant (such as the brain or some of the
endocrine glands) or very difficult to transplant (such as kidneys, heart, or liver)
can be implanted in the form of cells very easily.
5. Fetal tissues, with their higher biological potencies, are implanted in the
recipient and used at various sites in the body. The recipient organism itself
controls and carries out a selective incorporation of the various fetal cells.
Transplanting an entire organ is impractical, for several reasons. Your immune
system might reject any transplanted organ. And who is going to risk trading an
"old" organ or gland that is nonetheless functioning for a "new" one that might
totally fail if the transplant doesn't work? Thus, organ transplants today are
limited to hopeless situations only.
If the body's immune system rejects entire transplanted organs, is there also the
possibility that it will reject the individual cells?
Very little. The fact is that the body usually accepts the individual cells injected
during cell therapy. Again, we don't know exactly why.
Perhaps this is so because cell therapy uses embryonic cells, whose
immunological makeup is still incomplete. Whatever the reason, we do know the
cells do somehow get by the body's immune system.
But that's not all. Not only do they get into the body, they also go straight to
their corresponding organs. Liver cells go to the liver, spleen cells go to the
spleen, sex gland cells go to the sex glands, and so on. Scientific studies, in
which these glandular substances were tagged with radioisotopes before
injection, have proved that the injected (and ingested) cells do find their way to
the specific corresponding organ.
Once the cells have found their way to the target organs or glands, do they have
the power to do any good?
The answer to that appears to be Yes, too. Independent studies by cellular
biologists have discovered that a single cell from a specific organ contains the
information needed to rebuild the entire organ or gland.
Scientists extracted kidney, skin, and liver cells from chick embryos. After
processing them in much the same way the cells are processed for cell therapy,
they were reinjected into the membrane of an egg. The cells developed into their
specific organs.
Other independent research by scientists who were not cell therapists, and who
were not investigating cell therapy, has arrived at many of the same conclusions
used to explain cell therapy.
First of all, they have established that embryonic tissue has the greatest growth
stimulating effect. This makes sense. Young living things always contain more
"life force" than mature ones.
Secondly, they have confirmed that the growth stimulating effect of live cells is
definitely organ specific but not species specific. This means that liver cells will
only stimulate the growth of liver cells, but they will do so no matter what animal
the cells come from.
Finally, it has been demonstrated that unwanted, or unnecessary, cells are
rejected without doing harm to the body.
Two major theories explain how cells bring about revitalization of ailing or aging
organ. One theory says that the genetic information contained in the RNA and
DNA of the "old" cells is defective, because of either age or disease. Perhaps
the old cells' genetic codes have developed gaps or incorrect bits of
information. If you remember my discussion of aging, this cellular genetic
misinformation causes the cells to reproduce inefficiently. The new cells do not
look or function as well as they should.
Along comes the fresh, young cells, with their fresh genetic information
contained in their DNA and RNA. This theory says that the new cells carry the
correct genetic message to the old cells. The new cells replace the
misinformation with the proper, original genetic codes. The mistakes are
corrected and the gaps filled. Once the correct information is in place, the organ
or gland begins to function correctly -as if it, too, were as "young" as the donor
cells.
The second theory is simpler. It explains the aging of the cells in much the same
way: As we age, our cells gradually lose their ability to function precisely as they
were intended. This theory, however, does not bother with genetic codes. It
says that the mere presence of the fresh cells stimulates secretions that activate
the aging or diseased cells to get back on the track and function properly.
The implantation provides the recipient organisms with a great number of
biochemical substrates and enzymes that are found in very high concentrations
and unique composition in the fetal and juvenile cells and tissues.
There are many things we don't know about biochemical engineering. Perhaps
we shall not know exactly how cell therapy works until cellular biologists unlock
all the secrets of the cell.
Reprinted with permission, FOREVER YOUNG
E. Michael Molnar, M.D. 1985, p.p. 79-91