Frequently Asked Questions

1. What types of stem cells are used in your clinic (own adult stem cells, donor bone marrow stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells, animal stem cells, fetal stem cells)?

We use 5-12-week-old fetal stem cells harvested as the result of legal elective pregnancy termination and that are subjected to multiple safety testing. These cells preserve their pluripotent properties (ability to differentiate into cells of various germ layers: mesenchymal, ectodermal and endodermal) and are the most effective in the treatment of different diseases and conditions.

Mesenchymal stem cells take part in formation and restoration of the tissues of mesenchymal origin – bone, cartilaginous, muscular and fat tissues; ectodermal stem cells take part in formation and restoration of the tissues of ectodermal origin – skin, nervous system, sense organs, foregut and hindgut; endodermal stem cells take part in formation and restoration of the tissues of endodermal origin – most of gastrointestinal tract and glands connected with it, liver, gall bladder and pancreas, bronchial mucosa and alveolar lining of the lungs as well as most of the urinary tract.

2. What are the advantages of fetal stem cells in comparison with other types of stem cells (personal adult, donor bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, stem cells grown in vitro, animal cells)?

An extremely valuable advantage of fetal stem cells is the fact, that the recipient's body does not reject fetal stem cell transplants. Moreover, fetal stem cells have the highest proliferative potential (ability to multiply).
Transplantation of these cells helps to avoid problems associated with histocompatibility. HLA expression on fetal stem cell membranes is either absent or minimal. After fetal stem cell administration the immunological tolerance develops, the body perceives them as its own and doesn’t start the immune attack. Thus, the patient’s immunosuppression is not necessary. Fetal stem cells engraft well in the recipient’s organism for a long time. Pluripotency is the main quality of fetal stem cells. The ability to become any cell of the body is a unique feature of fetal stem cells that allows applying our treatment in virtually all fields of modern medicine. The exceptional ability to migrate to the problem area allows intravenous administration of the cells. Unlike stem cells grown in vitro, fetal stem cells of 5-12 weeks of gestation are no longer capable of uncontrolled growth, have passed primary differentiation and present no oncogenic threat.

3. Are there any side effects of fetal stem cell therapy?

Indications and contraindications for administration of fetal stem cells were elaborated by the professionals of UNIQUE CELL TREATMENT CLINIC. No adverse effects were observed after the fetal stem cell transplantation.

4. How long does the procedure last?

The average duration of fetal stem cell treatment course varies from 1 to 5 days and depends on the diagnosis, case history, complications and concomitant diseases. In order to inform the patient about the time needed for the treatment, we require basic medical data.

5. How is the treatment carried out?

Fetal stem cells are administered via intravenous drip-feed infusion, in a particular body cavity, or subcutaneously, in most cases in the frontal abdomen. This treatment is non-surgical and well tolerated by the patients.

6. How long should the patient stay at the clinic after transplantation of fetal stem cells (rehabilitation period)?

Since the administration of fetal stem cells is minimally invasive, post-treatment rehabilitation is not required.

7. Is this in- or outpatient treatment?

In most cases, it is an outpatient treatment that takes 3-5 hours a day. The attending relatives or assistants may stay in the clinic's room together with the patient supporting him/her morally or in any other way. If the patient’s condition requires any inpatient treatment and 24-hour observation in the pre- and post-transplantation period, the patient stays in the clinic during the whole visit.

8. Can the administration of fetal stem cells result in teratomas or other tumors?

Teratomas can be caused only by early embryonic stem cells grown artificially (in vitro). These cells are not yet “educated”, they do not have clear differentiation and morphogenesis programs and are capable of uncontrolled growth. We use 5-12-week-old natural fetal stem cells (in vivo) that have undergone primary differentiation, are “educated”, no longer capable of uncontrolled growth (nature itself has stopped this process), and they “know for sure” what cell or tissue type they should turn into.

9. How soon is it possible to see the effect of the therapy?

After fetal stem cell transplantation the effects develop in 2 stages:

Stage I (early) – development of quick effects several hours after the transplantation of fetal stem cells. These effects make Syndrome of Early Post-Transplantation Improvements (A. Smikodub Sr., 1996): improvement of general condition, less fatigue, better working capacity, and appetite. This syndrome is most vividly presented in patients with advanced diseases and severe intoxication. Syndrome of Psychofunctional Changes is also observed at this stage: decrease in intensity of somatic depression, improvement of the emotional status, sleep and memory.

Stage II (cell effects) begins after the adaptation of fetal stem cells in the patient’s body 1-2 months after the transplantation. It is connected with the fact that fetal stem cells have found the problem area, multiplied and the restoration of impaired organs, tissues or systems has begun. This results in subsidence of the disease symptoms and progression slowing down. Hematopoiesis stabilizes, immunity improves, and dystrophy degree of different organs and systems becomes lower. Life quality improvement.

10. How much does the treatment cost and what does it include?

Cost of the treatment depends on the diagnosis, number and type of fetal cell suspensions to be used for the treatment of each patient. It includes the treatment itself, medical examinations and tests, airport-hotel-airport and everyday hotel-clinic-hotel transfer.

11. How is it possible to pay for the therapy?

The payment is to be made via bank transfer against the invoice in the most convenient for the patient way.

12. What does cell treatment mean?

Cell treatment is a branch of modern medicine that uses stem cells of various origin and types for treatment for numerous diseases and works out new schemes and methods of treatment. The main indication for stem cell treatment is a disease or condition resulting in reduction of the number of cells necessary for normal body functioning.

13. What are stem cells and what properties do they have?

Stem cells are precursors of specialized cells determining and forming tissues and organs that perform definite functions. Stem cells should meet the following criteria:
1. Capacity for migration.
2. Capacity for adaptation in tissues and organs, followed by engraftment.
3. Self-support capacity – the creation of pool or family with stable cell count.
4.The largest potential for growth, proliferation and differentiation under the influence of local cytokines. Cytokines are informative molecules (the control system of the body). They regulate the intercellular and intersystem interactions, determine the functional activity of cells, stimulation or inhibition of their growth, differentiation and ensure consistency in the immune, endocrine, nervous and other systems.
5. Capacity for differentiation.
6. Involvement in morphogenesis (formation of tissue).

14. Are stem cells present in an adult body?

In adult tissues stem cells are present during the lifetime. They restore tissues and create new specialized cells to substitute for those dead due to apoptosis (natural death of cells). For instance, stomach lining cells live only 5 days, while erythrocytes traveling in the vessels all over the body and making more than 2,000 km during lifetime live about 120 days. The epidermis has to renew every two weeks. According to leading scientists, adult liver regenerates every 300–500 days. The above examples show how intensive body tissue regeneration processes are. As we age, stem cell count decreases, and if stem cell/bone marrow cell ratio in a newborn baby is 1/10,000, in teenagers – 1/100,000, then by the age of 50 it comes to 1/500,000, 70 – 1/1,000,000. That is why the issue of cell pool replenishment and activation of one’s own stem cells is the key to find solutions on how to prolong life, live healthily, and stay young. The potential of fetal stem cells for solution of these problems is tremendous.

15. What are the similarities and differences between fetal and adult stem cells?

In adults, stem cell count and their proliferation and growth potential are significantly lower than in fetal tissues. Besides, adult stem cells have formed and marked histocompatibility antigens on their membranes, which requires donor-recipient selection as in organ transplantation. For adult stem cell transplantation certain medication preparation is required before it, and post-transplantation immunosuppression therapy is needed to suppress the rejection reaction.

Adult stem cells are more differentiated and are not pluripotent (they are polypotent), which means that their ability to differentiate into certain cells and tissues is limited.

16. What are fetal stem cells different from embryonic stem cells (in vitro)?

Embryonic stem cells are the cells formed as a result of fertilization of the egg by the sperm during the first three weeks. In the whole world, this type of cells is produced solely in IVF (in vitro fertilization). These cells are capable of intensive growth (totipotency). Nowadays, mankind with all the modern biotechnology available can’t cope with the problem of suppression of the uncontrolled growth of these cells in vitro.
In fetal stem cells, unlike in embryonic stem cells grown in vitro, totipotency disappears as a result of the natural implantation process (attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus).

17. What are the differences between fetal stem cells and cord blood cells?

Umbilical cord blood is cryopreserved when a baby is born at the age of 35-42 weeks. Umbilical cord blood contains a lot of specialized, differentiated cells and hemocytes that have their own antigen structure.
1. Proliferative potential of cells from cord blood is lower than that of fetal stem cells.
2. Stem cells concentration in cord blood is much lower than in our fetal stem cell preparation.
3. Donor cord blood transplantation requires pre-transplantation medication preparation and post-transplantation immunosuppression therapy to suppress the rejection reaction. Umbilical cord blood is a reasonable source of stem cells for autotransplantation exceptionally.

18. Are there any contraindications?

unique cell treatment clinic professionals have worked out the list of indications and contraindications for stem cell treatment, and they depend on the disease.
The list of contraindications is quite limited.

Therapeutic contraindications:
1. Exacerbated vasculitis: capillaritis, phlebitis, arteritis (treatment with fetal stem cells is possible after at least three months of remission).
2. Acute thrombosis (treatment is possible not earlier than 3–6 months after exacerbation).
3. Acute hemophthalmia (after 3 months).
4. Expressed pulmonary hypertension secondary to vasculitis, thrombosis, pneumonia, development of the acute or subacute pulmonary heart.
5. Terminal stage of the disease (expressed intoxication, advanced metabolic dysfunctions and decompensation of internal organs).

Cardiologic contraindications:

1. Acute myocardial infarction (treatment is possible when a patient can be transported when troponin level is normalized);
2. Unstable angina (treatment is possible only after reperfusion of any origin);
3. Pulmonary embolism;
4. Recurrence of chronic pulmonary embolism;
5. Increased blood pressure at erythremia;
6. Acute myocarditis;
7. Acute pericarditis;
8. Acute endocarditis.

Neurologic contraindications:

1. An acute cerebrovascular disease of hemorrhagic type, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute period of 4-6 months.

2. An acute cerebrovascular disease of ischemic type, the most acute period of up to 9 days.

3. Acute viral encephalitis, meningitis.

4. Multiple sclerosis in the acute stage (treatment should not be carried out in the acute period).

5. Spinal injury (therapy is possible 2-3 months after the injury, provided the patient can be transported)

6. Inflammatory diseases of the nervous system in the acute stage.

7. Epilepsy (treatment is possible in a controlled course of the disease and established anticonvulsant therapy).

8. Spastic syndrome of any etiology (treatment is possible in a controlled course of the disease and established anticonvulsant therapy).

There are also contraindications related to diseases that can be found in the process of case report evaluation.

19. What is the potential of fetal stem cells?

Fetal stem cells have the highest potential for division, growth and specialization among all the other types of stem cells that can be used for treatment. They are maximum effective for treatment for diseases and conditions resulting in cell count reduction. Fetal stem cell treatment is recommended for a large number of diseases characterized by cell and tissue damage, dystrophy, hypo- and atrophy.

25 years of our research and clinical practice have shown efficacy of fetal stem cells in treatment for the most complicated human diseases including but not limited to Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons diseases, types 1 and 2 Diabetes mellitus, stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, heart failure, myocardium diseases, autoimmune and genetic diseases, blood diseases etc. Unique qualities of fetal stem cells allowing for restoration and maintenance of the body, creation of the new tissue to substitute the irreversibly damaged one, give hope to many patients whose diseases were considered incurable for a long time. Fetal stem cells are exceptionally effective in anti-aging treatment.