Respiratory Disease and Stem Cell Treatments
Respiratory disease is not a common condition, but it is one that affects thousands each year in the United States. Respiratory disease has a few different potential causes, but the treatments are typically the same. Respiratory disease usually involves blockage of the trachea. Learn more about respiratory disease and the revolutionary treatments being explored.
What Causes Respiratory Disease?
Respiratory disease is most often caused by the insertion of a breathing tube for other medical procedures or conditions. It can also be caused by an injury to the throat or by treatment for a tumor in the throat. Respiratory disease is a life-changing and lifelong illness that cannot be resolved easily, if at all.
Current Treatments
Current treatments for respiratory disease include surgery to remove the blockage or using a stent to keep the trachea open. Both of these treatments have some negative points. First, they are very invasive considering they are not always successful. Secondly, these two treatments do not tend to provide lasting results, and further action usually needs to be taken later on down the road.
Using Stem Cells
Doctors feel that the best way to treat respiratory diseases such as this is to replace the trachea, but this seems impossible. Researchers are currently experimenting with different types of scaffolds that can hold stem cells to grow a new trachea. The stem cells used in these procedures can come from embryonic stem cells or stem cells from the patient themselves.
If you are interested in learning more about how stem cells are changing treatments for respiratory disease, contact a participating doctor today.
