The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently published an important finding from a clinical trial that could affect those with cystinosis.
The research is certainly worth reading–especially if you or your loved one has cystinosis.
But if you don’t have the time to hunker down through a lot of complicated scientific jargon that could potentially drive you crazy, ohhh, do I have a gift for you!
First, here’s some background on the thyroid: The thyroid gland is THE primary “engine” found in every mammal; it controls the function of every organ in the body including muscles, skin, brain, and heart, etc. With hypothyroidism, thyroid function is grossly impaired or stops working all together. As the body’s organs fail to function properly, it can cause a variety of acute symptoms.
And now…here are the Down and Dirty Takeaways from the Clinical Trial:
- Mice with impaired thyroid function (clinically induced hypothyroidism) showed no signs of thyroid disease after they received a stem cell transplant.
- Scientists believe that stem cell transplant therapy might work in patients who have been diagnosed with cystinosis because hypothyroidism is the most commonly found co-condition in this patient population. They also think that stem cell treatment may help cystinosis patients in general.
If you or your loved one has cystinosis, this offers hope. But it’s also important to keep things in perspective! Stem cell transplants are painful and very expensive.
And now I’d like to hear from you. What do you think of stem cell transplant therapy? It’s terribly expensive, painful, and risky. Is it worth it as a viable treatment for cystinosis?
