Treatment of dementia | Overview including symptoms and causes

The forgetfulness and impaired judgment that come with age can sometimes cause great anxiety. When such symptoms progress and interfere with social life, the condition is generally referred to as “dementia.” With the aging of our society, developing countermeasures and treatment for dementia has become an urgent necessity. However, establishing essential treatment remains difficult.
Besides medication and rehabilitation, advanced medical technologies such as stem cell therapy have emerged in recent years as promising approaches for tackling dementia.
In this article, we address the characteristics of conventional therapy and stem cell therapy in addition to the symptoms and causes of dementia and provide information that can be used as a reference when treating dementia.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a collective term for diseases in which brain cells are damaged, resulting in a decline in cognitive functions, such as memory, judgment, and ability to think. There are several types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia and Lewy body dementia, each with varying causes and symptoms.
This condition predominantly affects older adults, and indeed, the term “senile dementia” was formerly used. However, this term was considered prejudicial, and thus switched to “dementia” since around 2004. Once dementia develops, it is difficult to stop its progression, resulting in a significant impact on the lives of patients and their families.
*1

*1 Source: Government Public Relations Online

Symptoms of dementia

Dementia exhibit diverse symptoms characteristics that vary by type. Typical symptoms include the following:

• Memory impairment
  Patients quickly forget a new event, and episodes in which they ask the same question repeatedly become noticeably frequent.
• Disorientation
  Patients can no longer recognize the date, place, or people correctly; this symptom is likely to cause confusion in daily life.
• Impaired judgment or diminished ability to think
  Patients have difficulty making even trivial decisions, as the thinking process that leads them to a conclusion is impaired.
• Executive dysfunction
  Patients cannot remember the steps of household chores or work that they are familiar with, which may interfere with their daily activities.
• Changes in personality and behavior
  Patients find it difficult to control emotions and sometimes show extreme changes, such as wandering, aggressive behavior, or apathy.

Although these symptoms may initially appear as minor forgetfulness, early detection and response are important, given the gradual transition to the stage of requiring assistance. *2
*2 Source: Tanzawa Hospital

Causes of dementia

Dementia occurs when the degeneration and death of neurons cause the functional loss of the brain. Typical disease types and causes are described below.

• Alzheimer’s dementia
  Abnormal proteins such as amyloid-β and tau protein accumulate in the brain, gradually destroying neurons. In Japan, Alzheimer’s dementia affects the largest number of patients.
• Cerebrovascular dementia
  Cerebrovascular disorders such as cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage damage nerve cells, thus causing local cognitive decline.
• Lewy body dementia
  Lewy body dementia occurs when abnormal proteins called Lewy bodies build up in the brain, which may be accompanied by visual hallucination or motor disorders similar to Parkinson’s disease.
• Frontotemporal dementia
  This type of dementia is mainly associated with personality changes and behavioral abnormalities caused by atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes.

Although the complex effects of aging, lifestyle habits, and genetic and other factors make it difficult to completely prevent dementia, the risk can be reduced by appropriate exercise, balanced diet, and participation in social activities.
*3 Source:  Tokyo Metropolitan

Stem cell therapy as a promising radical treatment for dementia

Conventional dementia treatment has centered around drug therapy to suppress symptoms, and nursing care or rehabilitation to improve the living environment. However, in recent years, stem cell therapy has attracted attention as a novel approach aimed at delaying or improving the progression of dementia. This approach, which is an area of regenerative medicine, potentially creates a favorable environment within the brain by repairing damaged nerve tissue.
Here, we explain what stem cell therapy is, its merits and effects, and the specific flow of treatment.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is a treatment that aims to regenerate or repair tissues and organs using “stem cells,” the source of all cells that form the body. Stem cells possess the ability to self-renew, differentiate, and be converted into specific cells for the desired purpose. In the field of regenerative medicine, methods for culturing stem cells that differentiate into various cells, such as nerves, blood vessels, and myocardium, and transplanting them at the site of injury in an attempt to restore function, have been studied and practiced.

Advantages of stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy is expected to demonstrate the following advantages in the treatment of dementia.

• Nerve tissue repair
  Stem cell therapy may complement damaged neurons and synapses and support the recovery of brain function.
• Improvement of the disease state itself
  While drug therapy focuses mainly on the relief of symptoms, stem cells potentially control disease progression by regenerating and repairing the site at which the disease originated.
• Versatility
  Because stem cells act not only on the brain but also on the blood vessels and immune system, they are expected to multilaterally improve the complex pathological conditions of dementia.

Reasons why stem cell therapy is effective

When stem cells are transplanted into the body, they not only travel to the site of injury where they promote regeneration of cells such as neurons and blood vessels, but they also exhibit properties that lead to the secretion of cytokines that suppress inflammation or activate the surrounding cells. This process is believed to improve the brain environment, leading to enhanced cognitive function. However, this therapeutic approach is still evolving, and it is not guaranteed that all patients with dementia can be effectively treated. Treatment plans must be tailored to individual patient conditions and disease types, while accumulating evidence.

Flow of treatment at the Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation

The Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation provides stem cell therapy for dementia by implementing the following process.

1. Initial counseling and tests
   The patient’s symptoms, medical history, and cognitive function level are checked to determine whether stem cell therapy is appropriate in a comprehensive manner.
2. Collection of stem cells
   Stem cells are extracted from the patient’s own adipose tissue or bone marrow, or obtained from other approved sources (depending on the situation).
3. Culture and quality control
   The extracted stem cells are grown and cultured in a laboratory in the facility, and their quality and safety are checked stringently.
4. Creation of the treatment plan
   The amount to be administered, frequency, and method of administration (e.g., drip infusion) of stem cells are individually determined according to the patient’s symptoms and progression.
5. Administration and follow-up
   After treatment, the patient is given support including follow-up monitoring, rehabilitation, and regular assessment of cognitive function.

Possibility of treating dementia using stem cells

Dementia not only impairs memory and the ability to think but also dramatically changes the lives of patients and their families. Conventional treatment has been centered around symptom relief, but in recent years, advanced medical care such as stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising approach aimed at the regeneration of nerve tissues. Stem cell therapy is a new method that may make it possible to improve the environment within the brain, which has been considered difficult until now. It is important to carefully examine the patient while consulting with specialists and select the optimal treatment according to the symptoms and disease type.

The Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation offers stem cell-based regenerative medicine as a medical institution approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. *4

If you are interested in stem cell therapy, please contact our hospital for consultation.
The Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation carefully selects evidence-based treatment and provides regenerative medicine according to each individual’s concerns based on new comprehensive treatment strategies. To optimize the results, patients may request a combination of oral therapies such as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or peptide therapy and stem cell therapy.

* Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation – a stem cell therapy clinic in Tokyo
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[1] Therapeutic Method
The treatment involves harvesting and culturing stem cells from the patient’s adipose tissue, and then injecting them locally to the affected area or administering them via intravenous infusion.
[2] Risk of side effects
At the time of fat collection: Adverse reactions such as internal bleeding, swelling, postoperative infection, postoperative scar, and pain at the injection site may be observed.
At the time of stem cell administration: Adverse reactions such as pain at the injection site, allergic reaction, and pulmonary embolism may be observed.
[3] Contact information
The Regenerative Medicine Division, Korokai Medical Corporation
Precious 18 5F, 4-14-6 Minami-azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL:03-6277-4650
[4] Pricing
This treatment is a private therapeutic strategy that is not covered by public health insurance. It will cost about 1.65 million yen including tax (which may vary depending on the diagnosis).
Please consult us for details.
[5] Route of acquisition
Stem cells are cultured at the affiliated CPC.
[6] Presence or absence of devices/drugs approved for the indications in Japan
No approved drugs for the indications are available in Japan.
[7] Safety information in other countries
There are no reports on safety from other countries.
*Significant risks may not have been identified.
[8] The fact that it has not been approved
Drugs used in this treatment have not yet received approval in accordance with the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act.
[9] Unapproved drugs/devices
Public aid systems (such as Relief Systems for Adverse Drug Reactions and Infections Acquired through Biological Products) are not applicable to unapproved drugs and devices.
[10] Notification of regenerative medicine provision plans
To perform this treatment, we have submitted the notification of regenerative medicine provision plans to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in accordance with the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Class 2 Regenerative Medicine Provision Plan No. PB3210146
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Class 2 Regenerative Medicine Provision Plan No. PB3230187
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Class 2 Regenerative Medicine Provision Plan No. PB3240017
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Class 2 Regenerative Medicine Provision Plan No. PB3230218