Treating Psoriasis with Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
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Psoriasis is a chronic disease that has long-term consequences for sufferers. Psoriasis is generally defined as a condition where the skin cells build up and form scales on the surface of the skin. These scales can be itchy and dry patches that are believed to be brought on by stress, infections, and cold.
Psoriasis is considered to be an immune system problem that can be incredibly painful and debilitating for sufferers. Many people who suffer from psoriasis experience a dramatic decrease in their quality of life. Unfortunately, this autoimmune disease is incredibly prevalent across the entire world.
How Many People Have Psoriasis?
Around 7.5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis. Although psoriasis can occur in all age groups, it is more commonly diagnosed in patients between the ages of 45 and 64. Approximately 80% of people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis have cases that are considered to be mild to moderate. Approximately 20% of people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis have moderate to severe disease that affects over 5% of their body.
On a global scale, it is estimated that around 2% of the world’s population suffers from psoriasis. Unfortunately, less than 20% of countries have any epidemiological data on the disease.
What are the Symptoms of Psoriasis?
People who suffer from psoriasis experience an array of signs and symptoms.
One of the most notable symptoms of psoriasis is a patchy rash. For some sufferers, they may have spots along their arms or legs with scaling that is similar to dandruff. In major cases, patients may experience major eruptions over the majority of their bodies.
Additionally, patients who have psoriasis often experience rashes that vary in color. They generally come in shades of purple. However, they may have gray scales or cause blue or black skin. They can also have pink or red with silvery scales and white patches on the skin.
In small children, it is more common for them to have small scaling spots on their arms, legs, chests, and the face.
Additional symptoms include:
- Itching
- Burning
- Soreness on the skin
- Dry and cracking skin, which may bleed
- cyclic rashes that can flare up for several weeks or months before subsiding
Approximately 30 percent of people who suffer from psoriasis also experience joint inflammation, which can produce symptoms of arthritis.
Types of Psoriasis
There are several types of psoriasis that we continue to see impact the lives of patients across the United States and around the world. Some common types of psoriasis include:
Plaque Psoriasis: This is the most common type of psoriasis that is diagnosed in the United States. Plaque psoriasis is defined as itchy, raised, and dry skin patches that are covered with scales. Patients can have a few patches, or they may have many, which spread across their bodies. This type of psoriasis is generally located on the scalp, knees, lower back, and elbows. Depending on the skin color of the patient, the patches can vary in color and can cause temporary changes in the color of the skin once it is healed.
Nail Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis can cause pitting, discoloration, and abnormal nail growth on the fingernails and toenails. It may also cause listening and separation of the nails from the nail bed. In more extreme cases, patients may even have their nails completely crumble.
Guttate Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis generally affects young adults and young children. It is generally triggered by a bacterial infection, such as the diagnosis of strep throat. Guttate psoriasis can result in small, drop-shaped scaling spots, which can be on the legs, trunk, or arms of patients.
Inverse Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis generally affects the skin folds near the groin area, along the buttocks, and under the breasts. Inverse psoriasis can cause smooth patches of inflamed skin. These patches can worsen when sweating or with friction. In some cases, a fungal infection may trigger inverse psoriasis.
Pustular Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis is pretty rare. People who suffer from pustular psoriasis will have pus-filled blisters, which can be widespread across their bodies. In some cases, the blisters are concentrated on small areas of the soles of the feet or palms of the hands.
Erythrodermic Psoriasis: This is the least common form of psoriasis. However, this type of psoriasis can cover the entire body. Patients who experience Erythrodermic psoriasis can have their entire body covered with a peeling rash, which can burn or itch intensively. Erythrodermic psoriasis can be short-lived or last long-term.
Any type of psoriasis has the potential to be incredibly debilitating. Unfortunately, there is no cure for any type of psoriasis that is diagnosed. However, some treatment options are available to help provide relief to patients who deal with this condition.
What Treatment Options are Available for Psoriasis?
In order to determine a treatment plan for people who suffer from psoriasis, the doctor will ask various health questions and examine the scalp, nails, and skin. In some cases, a healthcare provider may take a small sample of the skin by performing an autopsy and examining it under a microscope. Once the doctor determines what type of psoriasis a patient suffers from, they can begin a course of treatment.
When it comes to treating psoriasis, most doctors use topical therapy. This can include the use of corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, Calcineurin inhibitors, and retinoids. Anthralin, coal tar, and salicylic acid are also used quite often to treat patients who suffer from this condition.
In addition to topical therapy, light therapy may also be used to help patients alleviate some of the symptoms that they experience. This can include the use of UVB, sunlight, Psoralen plus ultraviolet a, or even Excimer laser.
Medications may also be used to treat various types of psoriasis. This can include the use of retinoids, steroids, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and Biologics.
Although there are several treatments available to help alleviate the symptoms that patients experience, there is no cure for the condition. More recently, we have seen many scientists turn to the use of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat psoriasis. These stem cell therapies have been shown to have positive results on patients.
What are Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells?
Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, or UC-MSCs, are a type of adult stem cell that is isolated from the umbilical cord cells. In most cases, these cells are isolated out of the Wharton’s jelly, located in the umbilical cord. These cells have the ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types. These include chondrocytes, osteoblasts, muscle cells, and adipocytes. This type of stem cell proves extremely beneficial due to the fact that it has immunomodulatory properties, meaning that it has the ability to regulate the immune system. It also has the ability to reduce inflammation.
Due to the positive characteristics of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, it is no wonder that the results have been extremely promising when it comes to treating psoriasis.
How are UC-MSCs Used to Treat Psoriasis?
Recent studies performed involving the use of UC-MSCs for treating psoriasis have shown promising results. One of the most recent studies involves a 47-year-old man who was diagnosed with psoriasis condition in 1995. For more than 25 years, he has undergone a variety of treatments for his condition. However, none of them have been helpful when it comes to improving his condition. Over a two-week period, the patient was provided three rounds of minimally manipulated UC-MSCs for his condition. At approximately three months after the first round of treatment, all of the erythema, which are the red patches on the skin caused by psoriasis, had disappeared. At this time, there was no recurrence of psoriasis. Several other studies conducted on various patients also have proven positive results. Many patients never suffered a recurrence after receiving UC-MSC treatment for their condition.
Additional studies involving mice that have been injected with imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation have also shown promising results. Not only did the mice injected with the mesenchymal stem cells have a dramatic decrease in the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis, but it also found that the use of these stem cells might also repress skin inflammation by inhibiting interleukin-17-producing γδ T cells. The novel insights provided by these findings demonstrate a potentially effective treatment when it comes to managing the effects of psoriasis in patients across the globe.
The fortunate truth is that the use of these stem cells has demonstrated extremely effective therapeutic potential when it comes to treating psoriasis. Although there is a lot to learn still about the use of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and their use to treat psoriasis, the evidence gathered thus far has proved promising when it comes to effectively treating individuals who suffer from psoriasis by taking this novel approach. With further research, the use of UC-MCSs may become incredibly important when it comes to treating patients who suffer from psoriasis and various other diseases and autoimmune disorders.
Ready to see if stem cell therapy is right for you? Cellebration Wellness is here to help. Call us at 1.800.601.8290 or visit us online!
