Organotherapy - Celltherapy

1.Definition

In simple language, cell therapy means that cells and minute cell unions derived from unborn or young donor animals are suspended in a natural solution and injected into the patient. Thus, cell therapy is a treatment based on biological substances conveyed in a suspension containing hundreds of thousands of cells and minute cell unions, preferably from unborn - or in the case of gland injections - from young donor animals. These cell components allow defective cells in the human body to regenerate by supplying the patient's ailing organ, or the aging organism as a whole, with valuable biochemical substance groups. In 1953, Niehans treated Pope Pius XII who in gratitude appointed him to the Papal Academy of Sciences in 1955. making the founder of cell therapy the successor to the late Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.

2. Historical background

The principle of healing by the injection of animal organs and tissues has been known since medicine was in its infancy. This therapeutic principle is mentioned in the oldest medical document, the Ebers Papyrus from Egypt, but also in the writings of Aristoteles and later in the works of Paracelsus who was teaching that »Like heals like- heart heals heart, kidney heals kidney,,,« as early as the sixteenth century.

Cell therapy too is based on this principle. Its discoverer, the Swiss doctor Professor Paul Niehans, began by transplanting whole glands into patients. However, he progressed past this stage by slicing the glands thinly arid implanting them in the patients' abdominal muscles. Later, he perfected his method still further by abandoning surgical transplantation in favor of injecting cell suspensions. Organ cells and minute cell unions which have been infinitely! educed and suspended in a physiological solution con be brought to the right body fluids and tissue areas much more quickly and effectively by means of injection.

Niehans injected his, first cells in 1931 when confronted with an acute case of serious glandular malfunctioning .Realizing that it could well be too late for operational irnplanting of animal glands, he followed his intuition and reduced the gland to a fine mass of tissue The total success of this cell injection prompted Niehans to concentrate all his energy on this new therapeutic approach.

However, he deserves credit not just for developing a new therapeutic method but above all for selecting the injection materials from various organs and tissues and for using the cells and tissues of unborn donor animals which are less likely to be rejected and hove a greater therapeutic effect.

Significant research has been conducted into the action and effectiveness of cell therapy using these freeze-dried (lyophilized) cell preparations. Thanks to the progress obtained with this method/ it became possible for all therapeutists to administer the cells. Furthermore, it opened up the door to increasingly comprehensive international clinical testing. Therapeutists and scientists no longer need their own herds of sheep and slaughter-houses in order to have ot+heirdisposal sterile, standardized preparations with a long shelf-life which have been subjected to rigorous quality testing.

3. Reasons for undergoing treatment

Niehans cell therapy is indicated in cases of:

• general loss of vitality

• physical and mental exhaustion

• reconvalescence following illness or operations

• premature aging and signs of degeneration

• deterioration of motory functions and diminished mental capacity

• general lack of resistance and susceptibility to infection (weakness of the immune system)

• stimulation of the glands

Numerous research findings provide scientific corroboration of the preventive effect of therapy through a strengthening of the immune system and general resistance. Thus, a course of cell therapy with »Niehans-Zellen« is also recommended as a prophylactic measure in younger years and not only when complaints associated with old age make their presence felt.

The oiling organ (ororgans) is treated by injection of the appropriate animal organ cells: forexample, heart cells ore injected for heart disease, iver ones for liver ailments, and so on.

However, it is rare for just a single organ to be affected; usually, whole systems of organs are involved, so all the organs in the system have to be treated with the corresponding cells. Consequently, in actual practice, cell therapy is usually conducted with combinations of several kinds of organ cells, and notwith individual cell preparations. The necessary combination is prepared individually for each patient.

4. Contraindications

Cell therapy is contraindicated in all cases of acute, infectious and inflammatory ailments. However, a course of cell therapy may be worthwhile in cases of protracted, chronic inflammation which does not respond to treatment because it may reactivate the body's own weakened powers of resistance.

5. The actual treatment

A course of treatment with cell injections should only be undertaken by doctors who are familiar with the principles of modern cell therapy. A thorough preliminary examination is required in order to exclude the possibility of infectious or inflammatory processes.

There is no adverse reaction to the cell injections because the preparations are natural biological substances whose composition harmonizes with the tissues and body fluids of the patient.

As has already been said, it is seldom sufficient to use a single type of cell-that is, a single injection-in conducting a course of cell therapy. Usually, several injections have to be given at one sitting.

6. Cell preparations

The cell preparations used are suspensions containing several million cells. ''00 mg of freeze-dried cell material corresponds to 1000 mg of fresh organs and, depending on the type of cell, contains between 70 and 180 million cells. Each cells forms a complex biological unit with a life and metabolism of its own. The cells of humans and animals are constructed according to the same basic biological pattern.

Fifty years' experience has shown that sheep ore the best donor animals because they ore vita , hardy animals with natural disease resistance. Sheep proteins ore particularly compatible with the human body and trigger off virtually no immune defense reactions.

In the beginning. Prof. Niehans used the fresh cell method only but soon realized that there was not sufficient time between extracting the cell material; from the donor animal and its injection into the patient to allow for adequate testing of its sterility In order to ensure a constant high level of quality and quantity, he developed the cell preparations which are now known as 'Niehans-Zellen" in 1949, in conjunction with scientists from the firm of Nestle. Tins method produces freeze-dried (lyophilized) cells which are biologically active Freeze-drying (lyophilization) is a proven technique for gently conserving biological substances without damaging the effectiveness of the valuable biochemical matter. The dosage of cell preparations con be accurately measured, their sterility controlled and the preparations kept under sterile conditions for longer periods of time.

These freeze-dried (lyophilized) cell preparations we currently prepared in the Cytobiological Laboratories Co Ltd. in Heidelberg. founded by Prof. Niehans in 1964. Two to three days of rest ore recommended after a course of cell therapy, and physical exertion should be avoided during the following days. The doctor advises the patient of any specific instructions in his/her particular case. For example, patients should, as faros possible, refrain from smoking alter a course o( cell therapy. No special diet is necessary and there are no objections to patients drinking a glass of wine or beer with their meals. It is up to the doctor conducting the treatment to decide what medicines should be taken during a course of cell therapy, and patients should discuss this mailer with him.

7. Therapeutic effect

As a general rule, there are three distinct phases after treatment:

• Immediately after injection, the soluble elements in the cells take effect and are instantly absorbed into the bloodstream. This often results in a short-term improvement in the patient's condition and to the feeling of increased vitality.

• This phase subsides after several hours or after a day at the most and is superceded by a stage of immunobiological reaction which lasts about two weeks and may initially be accompanied by slight lassitude. Former complaints may seem to be temporarily aggravated, but some patients resorb the cells without difficulty straight away and soon experience relief.

• The third chase, the regeneration stage, begins in the third or fourth week and lasts a minimum of four to six months. During this time, the curative effect aimed at by the treatment becomes evident, especially in a revitalization of the patient with an improvement in general health and physical stamina which can be objectively measured The blood supply to the skin is better, and the patient's physical and mental capacity and his/her general spirits likewise. In cases where organs are affected, cell treatment produces an improvement and sometimes even a total cure.

Depending on the individual case, the efficacy of a successful course of cell therapy may last for months or years. Generally speaking, the course should not be repeated until five months have elapsed. The doctor in charge of the treatment should be consulted in special cases.

8. Side effects

There may be a rise in body temperature following injection, but this is generally harmless. However, if the patient develops a high temperature, the doctor should be informed.

Slight swelling and reddening may occur between the 2nd and 5th day after injection where the needle was inserted. These symptoms too are harmless and will disappear of their own accord. In the event of more intensive reddening and excessive sensations of local heat, the affected part of the body can be cooled using ice-packs.

9. Efficacy

At Heidelberg University, Prof. E. Schmid was able to prove using experiments on animals that the cells are immediately conveyed from the point of entry of the needle by white blood corpuscles (phagocytes) to the related organs and tissues according to the principle of organic auto-identification and -distribution. There, the organ's specific cell components, and thus the valuable biochemical substance groups, become implanted and are made; to benefit the patient's ailing organ or the aging organism as a whole. Prof. A. Kment of the Vienna university, and Prof. H. Lettre of Heidelberg University*** were able to prove by means of numerous tests with colored and radioactive cells that the organism can recognize the cell components and put them to appropriate use.

Suggestions for Cell combinations (original Niehans)

• Combined preparations in one pierceable vial

• General Revitalization for male patients: Placenta, Hypothalamus, Testis, Mesenchym, Hepar

• General Revitalization for female patients: Placenta, Hypothalamus, Ovar, Mesenchym, Hepar

• Immune Therapy remedy to stimulate the body`s own defences:
• Original Immunactivator RESISTOCELL (R)

• Arteria cerebro-sclerosis: Cerebrum, Hepar, Thyreoidea, Placenta, Diencephalon

• Card iosclerosis: Arteria, Cor, Hepar, Placenta

• Chronic Hepatopathy: Hepar, Glandula suprarenalis, Placenta, Ventriculus, Mesenchym

• Menopause Syndrom: Diencephalon, Folliculi ovarici, Placenta

• Peripheral Diffusion: Disorders Hypothalamus, Hepar, Lien, Mesenchym, Placenta

• Celltherapy in chronic and degenerative liver diseases

Celltherapy in chronic degenerative liver diseases

FORSCHUNG UND KLINIK AG - INSTITUT PAUL NIEHANS
Dr. J. Stein, Heidelberg, Germany

Summary

The cell therapy introduced and developed by P. Niehans has over a period of 70 years given good therapeutic results in chronic degenerative liver disease. Since 1954 the initially empirical results have been substantiated by systematic basic research. Animal experimental studies in rats whose livers had been damaged with carbon tetrachloride showed therapeutically favourable measured effects of liver-cell implantations on various parameters. The investigators arrived at the same positive results with the use of radioactively labelled liver tissue.

In the world literature, since 1916, there are many experimental studies - independent of cell therapy - which demonstrate a regenerative and reconstitutive effect of liver implants on the damaged livers of laboratory animals.

Since 1953 extensive clinical studies have also been carried out with cell therapy, which all concur in demonstrating the therapeutic effect of cell implantations in patients with chronic liver disease.

Cell therapy is indicated in chronically persistent hepatitis and its transitional stages to cirrhosis of the liver. Compensated cirrhosis of the liver is also a suitable indication for cell therapy. Cell implantations are also indicated in alcoholic hepatosis, alcoholic toxic cirrhosis and fatty degeneration of the liver. Cell therapy gives very good results in toxic hepatosis due to drug-induced liver damage-Cell therapy is contraindicated in acute hepatitis, chronic aggressive hepatitis and in decompensated cirrhosis of the liver with portal hypertension, ascities and oesophageal varices.

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(1) Connective tissue

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(2) Celltherapy
(3) Resistocell
(4) Biological Medicine