Can stem cell therapy slow down or cure rheumatoid arthritis?
Stem cell therapy may be able to slow the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but it does not cure it. The research is still too limited for firm conclusions, so if you are interested, discuss it with your rheumatologist.
Existing medications for rheumatoid arthritis, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and disease-modifying antirheumatic agents, relieve symptoms but do not address the underlying cause. They are insufficiently effective at preventing joint damage, do not work in a proportion of patients, and cause serious side effects with long-term use. That shortcoming is precisely the reason stem cell therapy is being investigated.
Mesenchymal stem cells, a type of stem cell that can be obtained from bone marrow, adipose tissue or umbilical cord blood, appear to be capable of suppressing inflammatory processes. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who did not respond well to standard medication, small studies involving 447 patients across 14 trials showed improvements in pain and physical functioning, with minimal side effects. This is an indication, not proof: the studies were small and it has not yet been demonstrated that the stem cells themselves are the cause of that improvement.
Stronger evidence exists for osteoarthritis (joint wear and tear, a different condition from rheumatoid arthritis). There, an analysis of 42 randomised studies with more than 2,000 participants shows a clear and statistically demonstrable reduction in pain, regardless of the source of the stem cells. Across multiple conditions, the rate of side effects did not increase compared with control groups, suggesting a preliminary favourable safety profile, although long-term data are still lacking.
Stem cell therapy does not cure rheumatoid arthritis. Complete remission is achieved in only a small proportion of patients even with existing biological medications; MSC therapy aims to suppress inflammation and slow damage, not to achieve a definitive cure. Moreover, the therapy does not work for all autoimmune diseases: in multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis, no comparable effect is seen.
Umbilical cord stem cells are being investigated as a practical source, because they are easy to collect and raise no ethical objections. In the laboratory and in animal studies the results look promising, but clinical studies in RA patients are still scarce. The translation to the clinic has not yet been made.
This answer is based on seven review articles and one systematic analysis of 42 randomised studies (more than 2,000 participants). Most of the evidence specific to rheumatoid arthritis comes from small studies without a comparison group; the stronger evidence applies to osteoarthritis. The researchers themselves emphasise that the level of evidence for RA specifically is more limited than for osteoarthritis or lupus, and that long-term data are lacking.
Does the sauna help with weight loss?
The sauna makes you sweat, not slim: the weight you lose is fluid and returns as soon as you drink. Whether regular sauna use actually causes lasting fat loss has not yet been well demonstrated, and for now there is more evidence that it does not work than that it does.
Can you remove microplastics from your blood vessels?
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Is it better to take a cold bath before or after strength training?
Avoid taking a cold bath immediately AFTER strength training if muscle growth is your goal: it measurably inhibits muscle fibre hypertrophy. Schedule it before your training session, or use it on recovery days after endurance training.