Scientific proven efficacy in the treatment of wounds with medical hyperbaric combined with stem cells
Wounds of diabetic animals treated in an experimental hyperbaric chamber to scale, on which applied a patch with stem cells, managed a successful and quick repair. Chicken embryos placed under this same treatment, increased the formation of blood vessels during development, and animal intestine stem cells enhanced proliferation under therapy hyperbaric (HBOT). All these findings are part of a study led by Dr. Veronica Palm of the Faculty of Sciences. The next step of this research? The clinical trial in diabetic patients.
From 2014 to a team of scientists from the Faculty of Sciences works byresearch on a mini camera hyperbaric, unique in the countryand specially built by the company Osorio Hnos. - the same maestranza donated the hyperbaric chamber, which has the u. de Chile in the Campus South of the Faculty of medicine-for the study of the impact of HBOT in the conduct of stem cells or stem.
"Hyperbaric chambers are known for many years now, since the last century were used. Interestingly there are all kinds of protocols at a medical level how much should last a session, how it should pressurize, if you have to have part of his body in the House or be inhaling oxygen through a mask, there is everything. In fact, also sold over the internet and assumes that Michael Jackson slept in one and kept young, but there is much speculative outcome. Basically there is no sufficient scientific evidence supporting that prolonged use of the hyperbaric oxygen actually impact metabolic, molecular and cellular level in humans", explains Dr. Palm, academic Department of biology and Director of theLaboratory of stem cell and developmental biology.
Taking charge of this lack, is that the equipment of this laboratory of the Faculty of Sciences, started the research through various experiments andthey are now next to publish a study that promises to have an impact at national and international levels in this fieldwhich included the contribution of various public and private institutions, and included a FONDEF project was co-directed by Dr. Palma and Dr. Nelson Navarrete of the Faculty of medicine. The support of the medical technologist Gabriela Múñoz, who is part of the team responsible for the hyperbaric chamber that already sees patients in the Campus South of the Faculty of medicine linked to Hospital Barros Lucos was also fundamental.
About the work
It is the small hyperbaric chamber in which Verónica Palma, Pablo Lois Research Assistant, the postdoctoral fellow, Isaac Peña, and magister, Ignacio Casanova student currently working on the third floor of the Millennium building of the Faculty of Sciences. In a couple of weeks the paper that summarizes the evidence collected throughout this investigation that includes in addition results generated by Dr. Catherine Prieto and the Carolina Master Pizarro, evidence pointing to demonstrate successful results will be ready in stem cells undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Undergoing HBOT treatment for chicken embryos, the team came the conclusion that form more blood vessels in these, achieving not only greater protection for the embryo, but also ensuring its nutrition, respiration, and excretion.The next step of the research focused on analyzing the behavior of intestinal stem cells of mice, realizing another remarkable result.
"What we've seen is that when one comes to adult mice with hyperbaric oxygen, there is a change in the proliferative behavior of somatic stem cells, located in the intestinal Crypts. The cells are synchronized and proliferate as a group, which is very favorable to thinking in terms of improving and enhancing intestinal metabolism", he saidPalm, warning that "we will provide the first evidence in the world that there is a change in the behavior of intestinal stem cells of animals, undergoing this therapy".
Of be subsequently corroborated this finding in humans, treatment with hyperbaric oxygen could be used in chronic diseases that affect the intestine, such as Crohn's disease, which is currently incurable, helping to reduce the pain and the quality of the patient's life. Or it could also be effective before a lesion that can occur, for example, by an operation, thinking to improve the lives of the patient.
Other treatment tested in the Chamber by the team of scientists focused on the repair of injuries. "Emulating the situation of a deep cut, to a wound of mouse we put a patch with stem cells, in this case, human isolated umbilical cord. By previous work we had posted that when one deals with these stem cells faster wound closes. Then the question now was, we can further enhance this beneficial effect, if the animal with the patch with stem cells put it to the experimental Chamber? "The answer was Yes".
The last experiment that closes the paper, was even beyond:in diabetic mice treated their wounds with patches with stem cells and were subjected to treatment with hyperbaric oxygen. The result was again a successthe chronic wounds, closed. Researchers now estimate that this research may change the look from the medical world - reluctant to medicine hyperbaric for lack of scientific evidence - you have before these treatments.
"The message is that hyperbaric oxygen enhances the effect therapeutic stem cells, which may have a number of implications not only in the immediate repair time but also in the future at the level of preventive medicine," concludes the Dr. Palma, who after this delivery will begin the nomination of a new project, high-flying, allowing together with the Faculty of medicine, the first clinical trials in patients.
