Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis Support Group
Polymyositis (PM) is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles (inflammatory myopathy) related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. The inflammation is predominantly of the endomysium in polymyositis, whereas dermatomyositis is characterized by primarily perimysial inflammation.
Is it just me or is anyone else out there suspicious about the pushing of stem cell treatment. I am told by doctors here that we are years away from this being a treatment for Myositis. Suddenly everywhere I look it's being pushed as a treatment. Autumm
Not all types of stem cell treatments would be appropriate for DM/PM, but each type might help different diseases. Research is underway for the following stem cell types: embryonic, tissue-specific, follistatin (might help DM/PM), mesenchymal, induced pluripotent, and adipose.
Here is an article that might explain more:
Follistatin Improves Skeletal Muscle Healing after Injury and Disease Through an Interaction with Muscle Regeneration, Angiogenesis, and Fibrosis
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3157209/follistatinstemcells
Instead of getting concerned about stem cell treatments, the bigger issue is ALL of our treatments seem to only slow down disease progress. The cost of different treatments is also a big issue. The attitude of patients is we want medications that cure. The medications that are available at this point are medications that help.
I am going to take a wait and see attitude until the results of the follistatin stem cell trial for DM/PM comes out before reaching a conclusion as to whether this type of stem cell therapy will HELP.
This is the way I see it at this point. What do you think?