Septic shock takes the lives of thousands of people around the world each year. It occurs when an infection spreads through the body, causing inflammation, blocking the flow of blood and sometimes causing organ failure.

Septic shock is very difficult to treat and is a common cause of death — particularly in older people and patients with compromised immune systems. It can arise from many different kinds of infections and affects up to 50,000 Canadians each year.

Canadian researchers have recently been testing stem cells to find a treatment for this condition. They may have made a breakthrough, with some very promising results being published last week.

They have been testing stem cells to see if they can assist the immune system and reduce inflammation. The results from the trials have been very encouraging! The research uses mesenchymal stem cells collected from a healthy donor.

One of the patients participating in the trial was 73-year old Charles Bernique. He had developed sepsis after his ruptured oesophagus developed an infection. The medical team put Charles into an induced coma while giving him a high dose of antibiotics.  However, the infection had spread throughout his body and his prognosis was not good.

Researchers who were interested in testing stem cells for the condition approached his wife to see if she was interested in enrolling her husband. At this point, it was his only chance at survival. She agreed and Charles was injected with 30 million mesenchymal stem cells.

The stem cell treatment was effective and within a few months of receiving it Charles was back at work. 

Researchers are not entirely sure why the treatment is so effective. They suspect the stem cells are reducing inflammation and modulating the immune system. Once injected into the body, the stem cells make their own way to the site of the injury and quickly begin working. 

They have also noticed that the stem cells are only in the body temporarily. They don’t engraft with the recipient’s cells, they simply help the body deal with the infection then leave. This important discovery could save the lives of thousands of people each year.

Source: Researchers Testing Stem Cells for Septic Shock

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