Penn study finds hyperbaric oxygen treatments mobilize stem cellsDecember 29, 2005According to a study to be published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulation Physiology, a typical course of hyperbaric oxygen treatments increases by eight-fold the number of stem cells circulating in a patient's body. Stem cells, also called progenitor cells are crucial to injury repair. The study currently appears on-line and is scheduled for publication in the April 2006 edition of the American Journal. Stem cells exist in the bone marrow of human beings and animals and are capable of changing their nature to become part of many different organs and tissues. In response to injury, these cells move from the bone marrow to the injured sites, where they differentiate into cells that assist in the healing process. The movement, or mobilization, of stem cells can be triggered by a variety of stimuli - including pharmaceutical agents and hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Where as drugs are associated with a host of side effects, hyperbaric oxygen treatments carry a significantly lower risk of such effects. "This is the safest way clinically to increase stem cell circulation, far safer than any of the pharmaceutical options," said Stephen Thom, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "This study provides information on the fundamental mechanisms for hyperbaric oxygen and offers a new theoretical therapeutic option for mobilizing stem cells."
"We reproduced the observations from humans in animals in order to identify the mechanism for the hyperbaric oxygen effect," added Thom. "We found that hyperbaric oxygen mobilizes stem/progenitor cells because it increases synthesis of a molecule called nitric oxide in the bone marrow. This synthesis is thought to trigger enzymes that mediate stem/progenitor cell release." Hopefully, future study of hyperbaric oxygen's role in mobilizing stem cells will provide a wide array of treatments for combating injury and disease. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Hyperbaric Oxygen Current Events and Hyperbaric Oxygen News Articles LSUHSC study finds high-dose HBO2 therapy extends survival window after cardiopulmonary arrest A ground-breaking study by researchers at the School of Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans published in the August 2008 issue of Resuscitation has major implications for the #1 cause of death of Americans -- sudden cardiac arrest. Routine screenings uncover hidden carbon monoxide poisoning Screening all emergency room patients for carbon monoxide poisoning is a simple yet potentially life-saving practice that can be done even in a high-volume urban hospital, according to new research by emergency physicians at Rhode Island Hospital. Combined radiation seed, chemotherapy wafer implants show promise in treating cancerous brain tumors In the battle against malignant brain tumors, dual implantation of radioactive seeds and chemotherapy wafers following surgery showed promising results in a study led by specialists at the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and University Hospital. 1st successful treatment for chronic TBI A research team led by Dr. Paul Harch, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans and Director of the LSU Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship Program, has published findings that show hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) improved spatial learning and memory in a model of chronic traumatic brain injury. Evidence lacking to guide treatment for sudden hearing loss Although steroids are the most widely used treatment for sudden hearing loss, little scientific evidence supports their use or that of any other therapies for this condition. NO ADVANTAGE OF HIGH-PRESSURE OXYGEN FOR TREATING CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY (p 582) Children with cerebral palsy are unlikely to benefit from treatment with high-pressure oxygen, conclude authors of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET. Cerebral palsy is characterised by disorders of movement and posture caused by a non-progressive injury to the immature brain; there is no known cure. Hyperbaric (high-pressure) oxygen has been used by several centres in the USA, UK, and Canada to treat children with cerebral palsy. Reports of successful treatment have circulated among the families of children with this condition, who have asked for hyperbaric oxygen treatment despite the lack of scientific evidence of efficacy and possible side-effects. Jean-Paul Collet and colleague More Hyperbaric Oxygen Current Events and Hyperbaric Oxygen News Articles |
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