Stem Cell Therapy, A New Hope To Fight Against Muscular Dystrophy

Stem Cell Therapy, A New Hope To Fight Against Muscular Dystrophy

• Karnataka based 14-year-old Kushal Able To Delay Death With Stem Cell Therapy Treatment
• NeuroGen Helps Karnataka’s muscular dystrophy patient Kushal To Stand and Walk Again Independently
• NeuroGen Brain & Spine Institute offers New Hope To Patients Suffering From Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, An Incurable Debilitating Disease That Cuts Young Lives Short

Mangaluru: Nerul Navi Mumbai based, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, which is India’s one of leading stem cell therapy cum rehabilitation centre, is offering new hope through stem cell therapy and rehabilitation for patients suffering from muscular dystrophy, an incurable debilitating disease.

Karnataka based 14-year-old boy Kushal a muscular dystrophy disorder patient who was unable to stand, walk and climb stairs and was bedridden has now become independent post the stem cell therapy cum rehabilitation treatment done at NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute located in Mumbai. Kushal can now stand and walk without independently and Stem Cell therapy has been able to Gift a new life to Kushal and stop the progression of this incurable debilitating disease called muscular dystrophy.

Neurogen BSI has been set up to help patients suffering from incurable neurological disorders, get relief from their symptoms and physical disabilities by the use of stem cell therapy in a safe and effective way. NeuroGen BSI offers stem cell therapy and holistic rehabilitation for Neurological Disorders like Autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, brain stroke, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, head injury, cerebellar ataxia, dementia, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis and neuropsychiatric disorders. Till date, the organization has already successfully treated over 6000 patients from over 60 countries.

NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute is organizing a free workshop cum OPD consultation camp on July 15, 2018, in Bengaluru city for all Neurological disorders patients residing in Karnataka. This camp is being organized to facilitate the patients as NeuroGen understands patients with spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, etc traveling is extremely difficult all the way to Mumbai for just consultation purpose. All those patients suffering from such incurable neurological disorders can contact for appointments for this free camp to Mona 09920200400 / Pushkala 09821529653.

Muscular Dystrophy occurs worldwide, affecting all races. Its incidence varies, as some forms are more common than others. It’s the most common form of disease amongst children. Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects approximately 1 in every 3,500 to 6,000 male births each year according to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. In India also, a rising number of cases of muscular dystrophy have been reported having an occurrence of 1 in 3,500 male births each year. Some types of Muscular Dystrophy are more prevalent in certain countries and regions of the world. Many muscular dystrophies are familial, meaning there is some family history of the disease.

Dr Alok Sharma Professor & Head of Neurosurgery, LTMG Hospital & LTM Medical College, Sion Mumbai and Director NeuroGen Brain & Spine Institute said“There is very little awareness about muscular dystrophies amongst our people. In smaller towns and villages, most people have no idea about the disease. Several people even confuse DMD with polio for a long time after the child starts showing the first symptoms. Many even end up trying herbal remedies, thinking they will cure the children”.

Dr Nandini Gokulchandran, Deputy Director & Head Medical Services, Neurogen Brain & Spine Institute said “Muscular dystrophy is a progressive condition, which is severely debilitating and affects the individuals’ lifespan and quality of life. In fact, Duchene muscular dystrophy is termed as an incurable disease that cuts young lives short. The incurable disease causes a progressive degeneration process of the muscles, resulting in decreased mobility, breathing problems, heart failure and, ultimately, a premature death.”

Today, we are presenting a case study of young 14-year-old Bengaluru based Kr. R. Kushal, a known case of Muscular Dystrophy. Kushal’s growth was fine in his early childhood days, it was only when, Kushal started sensing weakness in his body at the age of 11 years, that he and his parents realized that something was not right. Without wasting much time they immediately took Kushal to a local doctor who diagnosed him with Muscular Dystrophy.

“My early symptoms included lower body weakness. I was able to move around and walked a few steps with some support. I was dependent for moving in bed while sleeping, transfer from bed to chair or chair to bed and activities of daily living. My condition kept on deteriorating. Within a year, I had completely stopped standing up on floor or chair and stopped climbing stairs. I started facing a lot of difficulties in overhead activities like bathing myself, attending school, playing with friends, etc. I had partially become bedridden” – says Kushal.

Initially, it was very difficult to mentally cope with the excruciating fact, but Kushal and his family took it as a challenge and started excising from the very beginning of the diagnosis. His parents stood by him throughout and kept on encouraging towards betterment.

Kushal tried various medicines ranging from Ayurvedic to Allopathic, but that did not help him much towards improving his condition nor by halting the rate of progression.

“One day, during 2017, as I was surfing the internet to research about treatment for muscular dystrophy, I happen to come across Dr. Alok Sharma’s talk on Stem Cell Therapy for muscular dystrophy. I shared my reports and videos for a consultation and received a quick feedback answering all my queries. This gave me a better idea about the treatment and a ray of hope towards improvement. Me and my family decided to get myself treated at NeuroGen BSI – without wasting any further time.

The chief complaints found on examination were that his weakness was gradually increasing in lower body and increasing fatigue. Kushal was unable to walk, run and climb stairs without support. There was a sudden fall while walking. He was unable to shift and get up from the bed. His mobility had reduced.

At NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Kushal underwent stem cell therapy along with a customized rehabilitation program in Sept 2017. He was given exercises to improve his ankle and toe movements, to strengthen his weak muscles and to improve his balance on standing. He was also given therapies to increase his overall stamina and to strengthen his lower and upper limbs. Together, the aim of the rehabilitation program was to improve his overall quality of life. Kushal continues the Neuro Rehabilitation suggested to him at home even after treatment and his progression has not only halted but he is showing gradual improvements.

The improvements seen in Kushal post the stem cell therapy are that today Kushal is able to stand and walk without support. Better posture. Reduced fatigue. Strength in upper limbs, trunk and neck. Leads an independent life as earlier.

Kushal is a college going student and aspires to become a Software Engineer without letting Muscular Dystrophy hamper his life and dreams. “Do not lose hope, aim high and target your goals without letting any illness put you down,” says Kushal.

Dr Nandini Gokulchandran further said “Duchene Muscular Dystrophy is the most severe form, where the lifespan of these children is around 20-22 years. It is emotionally, physically and financially draining for the parents of these children. As there is no treatment modality to halt or control the progression of the disease, the family has to see their child whither away. Therefore, we need to broaden our outlook and explore newer treatment strategies, which can at least control the progression of this disease. Stem cell therapy has emerged as a treatment option in the recent years, which has shown its positive impact on the progressive nature of this disease.”

Dr Alok Sharma said “The available treatment fails to act at the level of injury. No treatment options have been able to slow down the progression of the disease, stop or reverse the pathology. Since it is a genetic disorder, the ultimate answer rests in gene therapy, which has not yet reached the clinical setting. Stem cell therapy has been the area of interest of researchers globally in analyzing its role in muscular dystrophy. Numerous animal and human studies of stem cell therapy in muscular dystrophy have shown the beneficial effects.”

Dr Alok Sharma further said “Stem cell therapy is a productive and safe tool in the management of patients with muscular dystrophy. It has shown functional as well as radiological improvements in these patients, which enhances their quality of life.”

Dr Alok Sharma further concluded saying “For all those millions of patients who had told by us earlier that nothing can be done medically for your illness, we can now say to you with reasonable confidence that with the availability of stem cell therapy and combined with neurorehabilitation, Achhe Din Aane Wale Hain! “.

Pics by Alfie