Regenerative medicine

Scientists in sterile laboratories examine cells under microscopes—cells intended to give people lasting youthful looks and a healthy body. It may look like a scene from a good science fiction film, yet it could soon become reality.

The use of stem cells to slow aging and renew damaged tissue is no longer a new idea. Charlie Chaplin himself once underwent stem cell therapy at a Swiss clinic. At the time, the treatment used sheep stem cells. Stem cell research continues to advance: we have already seen their effects in the treatment of certain blood disorders. Now they can also be used to combat the unwelcome process of aging.

A closer look at stem cells

You can think of stem cells as little, diligent workers doing their best to keep the body functioning properly. Embryonic stem cells are all-powerful. They can develop into any tissue or organ. Adult stem cells, however, are produced throughout life. They are called multipotent because they can form only certain types of tissue, and their effectiveness is already limited. Nevertheless, they are an important source of regeneration and contribute to the renewal of our bodies. In adulthood, the largest sources of stem cells are bone marrow and adipose tissue.

Stem cells are also found in peripheral blood, but most of them are not suitable for regeneration.
The future of preventive medicine in the third millennium

How did it all begin?

The pioneers of cell therapy include Switzerland’s Clinique La Prairie, founded in 1931 by Dr. Paul Niehans.

From the beginning, the clinic operated as a spa and health center that, among other things, offered treatment with stem cell extracts from various tissues of sheep and sheep embryos. Fresh animal stem cells—over time, primarily cells from the liver tissue of sheep embryos—were administered to patients as an anti-aging treatment to strengthen their immune system and support recovery. This anti-aging method produced unexpected results and became known around the world as revitalization.

Over the clinic’s eighty-year history, many famous people have been treated there, including Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles de Gaulle.

A remedy from your own fat tissue

It may sound shocking, but the remedy is found right inside our own bodies—in the fat tissue that so often troubles us in certain areas. So-called mesenchymal stem cells can form a new vein, cartilage, or even a nerve cell, correcting the damage that aging has caused in our bodies. The stem cells are collected through painless tumescent liposuction. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, avoiding the unwanted effects of general anesthesia.

Tailored treatment

The advantage of stem cell therapy is that the cells reach the affected cell in a targeted way and act exactly where their effect is expected. They have no effect elsewhere, which also minimizes unwanted side effects.

Frailty

Advances in society and medicine are increasing our chances of reaching old age, and life expectancy is rising. There are more and more older and very old people, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the population.

A study focusing on so-called frailty syndrome is currently underway in the United States and here in the Czech Republic.

This condition is characterized by a decline in muscle mass, increasing weakness, fatigue, poor tolerance of exertion, difficulty concentrating, and an overall slowing of reactions. Increased frailty is estimated to affect 7% of 65-year-olds and 25% of people aged 75 and older. Regenerative medicine and stem cells now bring hope of improving this condition.

Stem cells can now also be used to combat the unwelcome process of aging.

A favorite therapy among celebrities

Many film stars and celebrities, for whom youthful looks and vitality are simply a must, undergo stem cell therapy today. Examples include the controversial beauty Kim Kardashian, tennis star Rafael Nadal, and actress Suzanne Somers, who became famous for the sitcom Step by Step. Do you remember the handsome Superman actor Christopher Reeve, who was left paralyzed in the lower half of his body after an unfortunate fall from a horse? He, too, was very interested in the use of stem cells: he was convinced that stem cell therapy would enable him to walk again.

There was interest in stem cell research in earlier times as well. The famous comedian Charlie Chaplin, for example, underwent this type of treatment. He was treated with sheep stem cells at a Swiss clinic. As he himself said, the therapy enabled him to marry and father children after the age of seventy.

Stem cells against fatigue

Youthful looks are important, but what happens when our entire body is short of energy? If you are one of those people who live for their work, this will surely sound familiar: stress, lack of sleep, and countless thoughts you have to keep in mind all the time. All of this leaves you barely able to keep your eyes open at the end of the day, collapsing into bed with relief. Stem cells can help you, too! “The treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome involves injecting a mixture of stem cell extracts from the adrenal glands, spleen, thymus, placenta, and other types of tissue,” explains Dr. Golková. For treatment to be successful, it is important to administer the extract in at least five doses; supporting its effect with high-dose vitamin C infusions is also recommended.

How treatment can be supported

Stem cells can help not only to rejuvenate the skin and replenish energy, but also to address digestive problems. For this purpose, an extract of cells from the intestine, pancreas, and stomach is used. “The purpose of the therapy is to regenerate intestinal tissue,” says Dr. Golková. “Successful treatment strengthens the body’s defenses and improves its overall capacity to regenerate and absorb nutrients. As a result, you feel less tired, and your resistance to infections improves.” Even in this case, however, we need to consider whether we are contributing to the problem ourselves. Lifestyle and eating habits go hand in hand with digestion. Here, too, it is therefore advisable to support stem cell treatment with a diet that excludes unsuitable foods. These may include nuts, soy, or dairy products that our body cannot digest; the cause of unpleasant symptoms such as constipation, headaches, or skin problems is then often attributed to work-related stress. “We can currently test tolerance to more than 400 foods or their components. Avoiding these foods allows the intestinal lining and the whole body to regenerate more quickly,” explains the chief physician of A2C Clinic.

Treatment with few side effects
Unlike the tiresome use of medication in tablet form, stem cell treatment is not expected to cause unpleasant side effects. One advantage of the therapy is that only damaged cells are treated in a targeted way; other areas of the body are unaffected.

Because these are your own stem cells, there is no risk of an allergic reaction or immunological intolerance. Nevertheless, certain rules must also be followed during stem cell treatment!

“Rejuvenating and regenerative therapy is not suitable for pregnant women; it also cannot be recommended for acute conditions such as inflammation or cancer,” says Dr. Golková.

What does stem cell treatment at A2C Clinic involve?

First, you have an initial consultation.
We then take blood and a DNA sample.
Depending on the area affected, imaging examinations such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging follow.
We arrange an appointment for liposuction to obtain the stem cells.
The entire procedure takes place in a single day; the stem cells obtained from your body are administered where your body needs them.
After the procedure, you need to follow a special regimen and get plenty of rest for 2–4 weeks.
Your body begins to regenerate—the first changes are usually noticeable after 4–6 weeks.