A California man named Kris Boesen was completely paralyzed after breaking his neck in a terrible car crash last March. But now he can brush his teeth and hug his family again…
He's even started to regain sensation in his legs.
And it's all because of a simple procedure he underwent about a month after his accident: stem cell therapy.
During Kris' procedure, researchers at the University of Southern California injected 10 million stem cells into his spinal cord.
Within two weeks, he could wiggle his fingers. Three months later, he was able to feed himself, write his name and operate his wheelchair.
His recovery has been nothing short of amazing. Especially when you consider that Kris broke the same part of his spine that "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve broke… the cervical spine.
A break in the cervical spine is considered the worst of all spinal cord injuries.
Christopher Reeve was an outspoken advocate for stem cell research. But he died before he was able to benefit from it.
Kris Boesen, on the other hand, got lucky. His procedure was part of a clinical trial. It's currently the only way this treatment is available.
And if our behemoth medical establishment has their way, it will be a long time before most people get access to the healing power of stem cells.
You see, Congress was on the verge of approving a bill that would have allowed the FDA to fast-track approval of certain stem cell treatments. But now Congress is buckling under pressure from academics and Big Pharma to hold off. Both want tight controls on stem cell therapies.
Big Pharma doesn't want stem cell treatments available until they can come up with "stem cell drugs" they can patent.
And the academics don't want these treatments approved until more results from rigidly controlled studies come in. That would take YEARS.
They can't accept that the stem cell therapies that are going on around the world are changing lives and have proven to be safe.
And here's the irony… Stem cells come from your own body. They're far safer than the "space-age molecules" Big Pharma peddles!
Stem cells are the supply of healthy "replacement cells" that you're born with. They replace dying or damaged cells. And one of the most amazing things about them is that they can develop into a variety of other kinds of cells — including blood, heart, brain, skin and bones.
Stem Cell Breakthroughs
New stem cell breakthroughs are happening all the time. Just in the last year or so, researchers:
- grew full-sized, beating hearts from adult skin stem cells; 1
- found a way to regrow craniofacial bones from stem cells to help people with facial and skull deformities; 2
- slowed the progression of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in patients by injecting stem cells from their bone marrow into their spinal fluid or muscles. 3
Recent research also shows stem could help diabetics and stroke victims. Stem cell treatments effectively treat arthritis and joint pain. And the list goes on…
While Congress hems and haws over this bill, I'll keep providing my patients with the most up-to-date research in stem cell therapy.
If you are interested in learning about the stem cell procedures I offer at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, please call my staff at 561-784-7852.
Meanwhile, there are ways you can boost your stem cell production right at home.
2 easy ways to boost stem cells
1. Get eight hours of sleep each night. In 2013, Swiss researchers discovered that a disruption of normal sleep rhythms disrupted stem cell functioning.4 And last year, German researchers found that a good night's sleep protects stem cells from DNA damage, which keeps them "young."
2. Get the forgotten B vitamin. A recent study from the University of Georgia and Tufts University found that vitamin B9 — or folate — can stimulate stem cell proliferation. In fact, researchers are currently testing how a combination of stem cells and B9 can regenerate the spinal cords of injured animals.5
I recommend getting 800 mcg of folate each day. Grass-fed calf's liver is one of your best sources with 215 mcg in just three ounces. Dairy, poultry, meat, eggs, seafood and dark leafy greens are also good.
If you choose to supplement, avoid the synthetic "folic acid" form of B9. Look for products that say "5-MTHF." That's the active form of B9.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Guyette, Jacques P., et al. Bioengineering Human Myocardium on Native Extracellular Matrix. Circulation Research. 2016;118:56-72.
2. Maruyama, Takamitsu, et al. Stem cells of the suture mesenchyme in craniofacial bone development, repair and regeneration. Nature Communications. 10526 (2016) doi:10.1038/ncomms10526
3. Panayiota Petrou, MD1; Yael Gothelf, PhD2; Zohar Argov, MD1; et al. Safety and Clinical Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secreting Neurotrophic Factor Transplantation in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisResults of Phase 1/2 and 2a Clinical Trials. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(3):337-344. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4321.
4. Janich, P., Toufighi, K., Solanas, G., Luis, N. M., Minkwitz, S., Serrano, L., Lehner, B. and Benitah, S. A. (2013) 'Human epidermal stem cell function is regulated by circadian oscillations', Cell Stem Cell 13(6): 745-53.doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.09.004
5. Zhang C, Shen L. Folic acid in combination with adult neural stem cells for the treatment of spinal cord injury in rats. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015; 8(7): 10471-80.