If you have you ever found yourself standing in a supermarket line passing the time chuckling over the story titles in tabloids such as The National Inquirer you surely have an appreciation for how powerful a catchy headline can be. And what works for tabloid journalism works just as well in the mainstream press. Take this headline from the May 29, 2013 issue of the UK MailOnline.com, for example: “Boy, 2, is the first to have cerebral palsy ‘successfully treated’ using stem cells, taking him from a vegetative state to walking and talking”

A medical first involving a brain-damaged lad who received his own stem cell-rich umbilical cord blood, almost Biblical in the “lame walk and the blind see” sense of the word. And it is something truly worthy of note and celebration. Consider these statements from the article:

“Just weeks after being given an intravenous stem cell treatment from umbilical cord blood, the symptoms of a boy who had been left in a vegetative state after a heart attack improved considerably. Within months he could talk and move.

“The German doctors who carried out the treatment say the results of the treatment dispel ‘long-held doubts’ surrounding the effectiveness of stem cell therapy.”

The problem with this genuinely impressive turnaround is it really is not a medical first at all. In fact, similar clinical responses have been reported over the past decade by doctors who treated severely brain damaged children and adults using umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells and (more recently) stem cell-rich bone marrow.

For instance, beginning around 2008 Duke University pediatric neurology researchers began treating cerebral palsy in children using cord blood. One such story is reflected in this videotaped account: http://bit.ly/uOoDs

But at least five (5) years before Duke embarked on its umbilical cord blood work, children and infants with cerebral palsy were being treated with pure cord blood stem cells in Mexico by Fernando Ramirez, MD and his medical team. And, during 2004-5 Dr. Ramirez conducted a pilot study involving eight (8) children with CP who received injections of cord blood stem cells; a study spearheaded by Ramirez program medical and technical consultant Dr. David Steenblock and his team of advisers and support personnel at his nonprofit research center in San Clemente, California (Steenblock Research Institute).   

This study was published in the open access journal Medical Hypotheses & Research during 2005 (Click to access).

Dr. Steenblock, who in 2006 coauthored a book titled “Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy: The Gift of Healing from Healthy Newborns”, remains staunchly convinced of the power of umbilical cord stem cells to effect healing and even regeneration in some instances, and not surprisingly continues to provide input to various reputable clinics doing umbilical cord stem cell therapy in Mexico and elsewhere. However, just as science and medicine is not static, neither is Dr. Steenblock: Beginning around 2006 he began harvesting and giving patients including (eventually) those with cerebral palsy their own stem cell-rich bone marrow (Technically referred to as “minimally manipulated bone marrow aspirate”). This approach turned out to an especially fruitful one. So much so that today he characterizes the use of a CP patient’s own bone marrow (aspirate) as “what will eventually emerge as the standard-of-care intervention for cerebral palsy”.

To understand why Dr. Steenblock zeroed in on bone marrow stem cells for neurologic conditions including CP (and far more), it is important to know a little about the nature of bone marrow and its cache of stem cells.

Your bones house and protect stem cell-rich tissue in their interior which is responsible for the production of new red blood cells as well as key immune system support cells called leucocytes (white blood cells) which keep you alive and well. In addition, bone marrow stem cells participate in the repair and growth of bodily tissues throughout your life. 

Bone marrow also contains another type of stem cell called a stromal stem cell which is also called a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). These stem cells are support cells that help hematopoietic stem cells in their continuous production of blood cells. In other words, they are like the core machinery in a factory and are essential to the output (of blood cells) by that factory.

But these bone marrow stem cells do much more for our bodies. They enter the central nervous system where they generate new neurons and support the repair of damaged ones. In an article titled “Bone marrow generates new neurons in human brains” the results of a government sponsored study are discussed. One of the study authors, Èva Mezey, M.D., Ph.D., from HHS’ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), noted that “This study shows that some kind of cell in bone marrow, most likely a stem cell, has the capacity to enter the brain and form neurons”.

This is something Dr. Steenblock realized back in 2005 and took advantage of by harvesting stem cell-rich bone marrow and giving it to adult neurology patients such as those with ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis and chronic stroke. By 2011 he had done over 1500 such bone marrow aspirate treatments without any adverse or side effects and a considerable track record of impressive clinical responses. In light of this he began treating cerebral palsy patients including children (who weighed more than 70 lbs.) Naturally, Dr. Steenblock expected to see responses similar to or better than those he and his colleagues had documented with respect to umbilical cord stem cell treatments in Mexico. He was not disappointed as the responses of his pediatric CP patients to the bone marrow treatments consistently ran from good to stellar. Among the standout success stories is teenager Emily whose story is told in this videotaped segment: Click to watch Emily (Many more CP patient accounts can be found at http://www.stemcellmd.org/category/testimonials/cerebral-palsy-testimonials/ and in the additional information section following the conclusion of this article). 

During this time scientists in various countries carried out studies that underscored what Dr. Steenblock and his associates were seeing. Among them:

The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston carried out a phase 1 or safety study involving children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). As part of this, ten children with severe traumatic brain injuries (aged 5-14) were given intravenous drip infusions of stem cells from their own bone marrow. In the months that followed none of the children showed any problems connected to the stem cells and, in fact, all of them showed significant improvements. Click to read a news release concerning this 2011 study.

Other lines of research revealed that bone marrow stem cells produce a host of powerful proteins called growth factors that actually stimulate stem cells that reside in the brain to become new neurons! One of these is bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2). If you’d like to read a technical abstract on this just click this link. Other studies have shown that bone marrow produces more BMP2 than other sources such as cells in the peripheral blood.  So, bottom line — bone marrow stem cells are actually very “neuro-friendly” on many levels.

And, in a 2011 paper Spanish university researchers revealed findings that indicate that bone marrow derived cells (BMDC) placed in the central nervous system (CNS) of lab animals “demonstrate that BMDC mainly generate microglial cells, although to a lesser extent a clear formation of neuronal types also exists”.  

During late 2012 Dr. Steenblock decided to cut back on his clinical work so as free up his time to devote to coming up with newer, better ways to get people well and keep them well.  As part of this “life transition” he brought a highly accomplished physician,  Alexander Thermos, D.O., D.C., into his clinic and trained him thoroughly in his various clinical treatment methods especially those related to use of bone marrow aspirate.  Dr. Thermos has added techniques and angles to this that augment and in some instances magnify its healing effects many fold.

In medicine there are pioneers and real “firsts”. The UK MailOnline.com article dubbed what the German doctors did a “first” which it wasn’t.  For those interested in genuine medical firsts, visit www.stemcellmd.org and www.strokedoctor.com or call the Clinic at 1-800-300-1063 from 9 am to 5 pm (Pacific Time), Monday through Friday.   

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BONE MARROW ASPIRATE FOR CEREBRAL PALSY INCLUDING PATIENT INTERVIEWS

And the lame shall walk: Free video tells all

Dr. Steenblock’s cerebral palsy blog site debuts

Emily responds to critics of her stem cell CP turnaround

What can hyperbaric oxygen & stem cells do? Check out Andrew Burkhart’s story on Positively Positive and find out!

Cerebral palsy turnaround story: January 17 NBC-12 news segment on Andrew Burkhart

How stem cells & the kindness of others helped Andrew Burkhart: Article & story from NBC 4 (Los Angeles)

UPDATE on Andrew: “Miracle in progress” reports Kellie Burkhart

NBC-12: “Kellie, the best stem cell doctor in this country is in California. His name is Dr. Steenblock”  

Patience, Determination, Perseverance: Melany (Melly) Geary writes about her stem cell turnaround (cerebral palsy)

60 Minutes (NZ) Stem Cell News Segment: “In Search of a Miracle”

VIDEO: Tim has cerebral palsy and found help at Dr. Steenblock’s Clinic!

When it comes to stem cell help for cerebral palsy…go with a winner!

© 2013 by David A. Steenblock, D.O., Inc. All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER: The use of stem cells or stem cell rich tissues as well as the mobilization of stem cells by any means, e.g., pharmaceutical, mechanical or herbal-nutrient is not FDA approved to prevent, treat, cure or mitigate any disease or medical condition mentioned, cited or described in any document or article in this document.  This document and the information featured, showcased or otherwise appearing on it is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Those who peruse this document should not rely on information provided on it for their own health problems. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your physician or other duly licensed healthcare provider. This document & all affiliated websites make no guarantees, warranties or express or implied representations whatsoever with regard to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced in or on same. This document & all affiliated websites and its owners and operators do not assume any risk whatsoever for your use of same or the information posted herein. Health-related information and opinions change frequently and therefore information contained on this Website may be outdated, incomplete or incorrect. All statements made about products, drugs and such in this document and all affiliated websites has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, any testimonials appearing in this document or on any affiliated website are based on the experiences of a few people and you are not likely to have similar results. Use of this document or any & all affiliated websites does not create an expressed or implied professional relationship.