The Type of Stem Cells We Use

There are many lines and members of the stem cell family. Some having specific tasks and can only divide and become a certain body part and are known as multipotent, while others have the ability to change into a number of cell types. Pluripotent stem cells have more plasticity and are able to change into many cell types, including all of the various cell lines of the body.

There are three cell lines that ultimately become our body. They include, the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm. These three groups comprise the building blocks of our body from our muscles and skeleton to our internal organs.
Stem cells that are used at the clinic include those derived from a number of sources, excluding embryonic cells.

Included sites for stem cells that are used, in the clinical setting, are bone marrow, umbilical chord blood, placental blood, adipose (fat) and dental extractions. The cells are derived from the patient or umbilical cord blood can be matched from a donor.

The cells used are identified, counted and checked for viability and may undergo expansion, in the laboratory. Additionally, we employ a number of growth factors to maximize the harvesting and growth of the cells.

Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of bones. The bone marrow stroma contains mesenchymal stem cells*. These cells are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types. The use of bone marrow derived stem cells has a long history of use and is generally considered a standard procedure. Children possess adequate amounts, for therapeutic use and the process of collection is safe and commonly performed.

Umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord, after childbirth. Although the cord blood does contain stem cells, there are generally not enough stem cells in one unit of cord blood to treat an adult patient, without additional growth of the number of cells. Umbilical cord blood is well-recognized as being useful for treating blood diseases and genetic disorders. Removing the umbilical cord blood is not harmful to the baby and the blood would normally be thrown away as medical waste. An advantage to harvesting umbilical cord blood is that, like harvesting adult stem cells, there are currently no ethical drawbacks.

Cord blood is stored by both public and private cord blood banks. Public cord blood banks store cord blood for the benefit of the general public, and most U.S. banks coordinate matching cord blood to patients through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).

Placental Blood refers to the collection and storage of stem cells stem from the placenta, in addition to those found in cord blood.

The placenta is a much better source of stem cells since it contains up to ten times more stem cells than cord blood. It too has no ethical issues and is considered medical waste. Although this source is readily available, placental banking is less common.

Adipose tissue or body fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes, fat forming cells.

Recent advances in biotechnology have allowed for the harvesting of adult stem cells from adipose tissue, allowing stimulation of tissue regrowth using a patient’s own cells. In addition, it was reported that adipose-derived stem cells from both human and animals can be efficiently reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells. The use of a patient’s own cells reduces the chance of tissue rejection and avoids the ethical issues associated with the use of human embryonic stem cells. There are many articles suggesting that the number of stem cells found in the fat is far more numerous than in other tissue sites, per collection.

Dental pulp is the soft living tissue inside a tooth. Stem cells are found inside the soft living tissue. The storage of dental tissue is now available and a viable option for those parents who were unable to store cord blood, at birth. Scientists have identified the mesenchymal type of stem cell inside the pulp. Not unlike the other tissues this site will become more utilized as the science evolves.

*Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to have the potential to differentiate into a variety of other cell types including: cardiac myocytes to repair damaged cardiac tissue following a heart attack, neuronal cells to generate nerve and brain tissue myocytes to repair muscle, osteocytes to generate bone, chondrocytes to generate cartilage, and adipocytes to generate fat.

Stem Cell Clinic Team

ADVANCED CELLULAR MEDICINE CLINIC of Cancun

Dra. Sylvia M Abblitt Luengas, President

Dra. Sylvia Abblitt is a Board Certified Hematologist & Oncologist. She was the Vice President of the National Commission of Blood Banks in Mexico. – Member: Mexican Society of Transfusional Medicine, InterAmerica Society of Transfusional Medicine, Mexican Association for Studies of Hematology Director of Hematology at Hospitals Galenia and Amerimed in Cancun, Mexico.

Dra. Abblitt and her company, HEMATOLOGIA INTEGRAL Y ESTUDIOS ESPECIALIZADOS, SC are uniquely certified and licensed by Mexico’s FDA, the COFEPRIS, to manage, manipulate, bank, and offer allogentic as well as autologous stem cell therapies in Mexico.

and offer allogentic as well as autologous stem cell therapies in Mexico.
Dra. Sylvia Abbitt, Managing Director, HEMATOLOGIA INTEGRAL Y ESTUDIOS ESPECIALIZADOS, S.C., President of Advanced Cellular Medical Clinic and Medical director and President of Ingenieria Celular Avanzada, S.A. de C.V.
. COFEPRIS approves the Clinic’s laboratory procedures, blood bank management directives and treatment protocols.

We are gathering a team of board certified, established, knowledgeable physicians in their area of medicine and with the understanding that we are in a continuous learning curve and sharing information is vital. The combined expertise of multiple specialists allows for unique insights and protocol designs.

Our protocols are designed with the intent of providing the best medical care, for the patient, while data is collected independently with the intent of publishing in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Abblitt is a member of the ICMS ( International Cellular Medical Society) and all patients are monitored by ICMS and independent agency for a period of between 2-20 years on a quarterly basis.

As this field of stem cell regenerative medicine matures. we will continue to see changes to both the protocols as well as the time frames and frequencies necessary to address the underlying disorders.

Her team of specialists includes a growing family of physicians and therapists devoted to superb delivery of health care, utilizing cellular medicine.