"How will stem cell therapy change human life in the next 10 years?

The first successful bone marrow transplant in 1956 has opened the door of new therapeutic modality- stem cell therapy. Since then, stem cell treatment and research is continuously evolving and expanding. Few decades ago, our neuro doctors were in notion that brain cells cannot regenerate, but today with stem cell research it has been evident that stem cells can naturally regenerate lost neurons and improve brain functionality.

Just as aspirin and penicillin have revolutionised healthcare in the past, now stem cells are arising as promising therapeutic optionfor various incurable diseases.Before we dig into what stem cells can do, we start with what actually stem cells are. Stem cells are key to our longevity and health and these are present within us only. These are naturally occurring undifferentiated cells and have two unique properties- self renewal and multi lineage differentiation potential i.e. they can divide infinitely without losing their characteristics and they can differentiate into different kinds of cells. Stem cells help us every day to repair damaged tissues and cells. Normally stem cells lie latent in our body until they receive signals from injured area. These cells migrate to injury area and stimulate the cells to regenerate and heal the damaged tissue. However, with the progression of the disease, an additional supply of them is needed that can fasten the healing process. The exploitation of this natural process of stem cells can shift the treatment modality of disease and change life in a better way.Stem cell therapies are rapidly evolving and coming up as promising viable option for a wide range of diseases including neuro disorders, heart diseases, eye diseases, diabetes, skin injuries etc. In today’s world, medical world is exploring the latest technology through stem cells that can treat many diseases that are non-treatable with traditional therapies.Here are just few of possibilities that stem cell therapy can offer- Neuro degenerative disorder is One of the most important uses of stem cell therapy is in the treatment of neuro degenerative disorders including Parkinson, Cerebral palsy, Alzheimer disease etc. Current gold standard treatment involves physiotherapy, speech therapy that just reduces the symptoms and not provides a complete cure. Stem cell research has paved the way for utilizing stem cell for neurological disorders. A Clinical trial conducted on cerebral palsy patients with stem cells exhibited good degree of improvement in cognitive, functional, and bladder and bowel control.

"How much does it cost to get stem cell therapy?

Stem Cell Therapy Cost in India-
Stem cells are the cells having the ability to differentiate into specific cell types. Due to their ability to regenerate, the stem cells are used to treat many serious disorders.Stem cell therapy (SCT) is a technique to treat several non-serious to severe life-threatening disorders, such as neuromuscular disorders, degenerative disorders, hematopoietic disorders etc. The stem cells can be obtained from different sources such as hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical stem cells etc. When conventional therapies fail to produce significant results, SCT is considered as an effective, minimally invasive alternative treatment option for chronic and degenerative conditions. Moreover, SCT is a safe, rapid, and reliable method showing a lot of promising results worldwide.Stem cell therapy is a complex process. The patients undergoing the therapy must be   subjected to proper care both physically and emotionally. The costs of stem cell treatments and therapies depend on several factors including the treatment availability, quality of the treatment, types of stem cells used, overhead costs etc. But the costs are not standardised in most of the countries of the world. Moreover, the exact cost of stem cell therapy is usually not disclosed by most of the providers at their websites. The cost is provided once the patients provide their medical history, types of stem cells to be used for the treatment, hospital brand, the room type etc. Furthermore, most of the stem cell treatments are personalised and there is variation of dosage from one patient to another, thereby complicating the pricing. The least expensive stem cell treatment package is offered at $2,000 for a Knee Stem cell therapy in Mexico, whereas in USA, the most expensive Bone marrow Stem cell therapy package costs $51,427. The average price of these treatments globally is approximately $10,000.
In USA stem cell treatments of various kinds are widely available.At present there are more than 100 stem cell clinics and many of them offer non-FDA approved interventions for dozens of conditions.In USA there are several types of stem

cell procedures such as adipose-derived stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, cord tissue stem cells and amniotic fluid stem cell therapy. These SCTs can start anywhere from $5,000–10,000 per treatment.In some clinics, the prices vary between $7,000-8,000.At present, outside the US,cultured stem cell procedures are being offered.Cultured stem cell procedures are used to treat orthopedic and degenerative conditions. Costs for cultured stem cell procedures might start at about $15,000-17,000 per treatment.Mexico is  a popular destination for Stem cell therapy due to lower costs of SCT. On an average, the cost for SCT in Mexico is about $8,000 with a range of cost as low as $2,000 for knee regenerative therapy and cost as high as$35,000 for congestive heart failure.
In Europe, around £3000 to £8000 are charged for Stem cell therapy to treat damaged cartilage.In India there is a rapid growth of Stem cell therapy nowadays. India offers excellent Stem cell transplant treatment at rates much lower than the prevailing rates in USA and Europe. The cost of stem cell therapy in India is usually one-tenth the costs in US and UK and even cheaper than Thailand. However, the treatment is quite advanced in India compared to many other countries. Hence, India is the most preferred destination for the patients who want low cost stem cell therapy.The free-consultation cost of Stem Cell therapy in India varies from $9,600 to $50,000 depending on the type of treatment with the least expensive treatment at present is for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis at $5,000 and adult stem cell therapy at $30,900.