Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), also called premature ovarian failure, occurs when your ovaries stop functioning normally before the age of 40. When the ovaries stop functioning normally they no longer produce sufficient amounts of estrogen and will not store and release eggs regularly. Frequently women with POI are diagnosed with premature menopause but they are not the same thing. Women with primary ovarian insufficiency will continue to have irregular periods for years and may become pregnant, although infertility is one of the symptoms of POI. Women with premature menopause stop having periods and do not have the ability to become pregnant.
Stem cell therapy at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute has been shown to help women fight the signs and symptoms of aging including the symptoms of menopause. The signs and symptoms of primary ovarian insufficiency are similar to those of menopause:
- Irregular or skipped periods
- Difficulty conceiving
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Irritability or difficulty concentrating
- Decreased sexual desire
The results of a recent study show stem cell therapy may also help women diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency, reducing the symptoms associated with low estrogen levels including restoring fertility. Researchers presented preliminary results from the trial at the 100th annual Endocrine Society meeting in Chicago. The trial is ongoing and researchers plan to enroll 33 patients in total. Senior author Ayman Al-Hendy, M.D. Ph.D., Professor of Gynecology and Director of Translational Research at the University of Illinois, Chicago presented data for “the two participants that have completed the treatment to date, serum estrogen levels have increased as soon as 3 months after the injection of stem cells, and the effect has lasted for at least one year. Their menopausal symptoms have been alleviated, and six months after the injection of the stem cells into the ovaries, they have resumed menses.”
Physicians harvested and processed the stem cells from bone marrow. The stem cells were then transplanted into the right ovary, the left ovary served as a control and was injected with saline instead of stem cells. Patients were followed at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after the procedure to measure hormone levels, changes in the size of the ovary and menopausal symptoms. Due to inactivity, the ovaries of the two patients were approximately one third the size of normally functioning ovaries. One week after the stem cell injection the size of the right ovary increased and after 1 year, the treated ovary of one patient doubled in size. Serum estrogen levels increase and quality of life measures improved. Researchers reported the patients have so far tolerated the treatment very well with no complications or side effects.
The professionals at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute in Costa Rica currently use stem cell therapy to treat many conditions associated with aging and chronic disease including; Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, COPD, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and neuropathy. Stem cell therapy and the field of regenerative medicine is changing rapidly and we want to make sure our readers have access to the most recent data as soon as it becomes available. If you have questions regarding stem cell therapy contact the Stem Cells Transplant Institute today.
