Stem cell therapy for menopause | Overview including symptoms and causes

Age-related changes in hormonal balance have multiple effects on women’s bodies. In particular, symptoms such as hot flashes, sweating, depression, and insomnia experienced during menopause are collectively called “menopausal symptoms.” Conventional treatments include hormone replacement therapy, Chinese herbal medicine, and improvement of lifestyle, but in recent years, stem cell therapy has been attracting attention as a new method to restore fundamental physical vitality.
In this article, we will discuss menopausal symptoms and their causes and explain how stem cell therapy, an area of regenerative medicine, can be used to resolve the symptoms, while considering the differences between this therapy and conventional coping methods. Please consider referring to this article for information about menopausal symptom relief to live life comfortably again.

What are menopausal symptoms?

Menopausal symptoms collectively refer to the various complaints experienced by women during the perimenopausal period. Typically, the ovarian function declines between the mid-40s and mid-50s, and a sudden drop in female hormone (estrogen and progesterone) secretion affects both the body and mind. These changes are a natural physiological phenomenon, but the degree and range of symptoms vary from person to person; some people never feel unwell, while others experience severe symptoms that interfere with daily activities. Menopausal symptoms have the following major characteristics:

• Sudden change in hormonal balance due to age: Rapidly decreased amounts of estrogen and progesterone affect autonomic nerves and mental aspects, causing various symptoms.
• Frequent occurrence in the period surrounding menopause: The symptoms tend to be concentrated during the ~10 years before and after menopause (around 45 to 55 years of age), referred to as “perimenopause.”
• Considerable individual variation: The intensity, type, and duration of symptoms vary greatly from person to person.

*1

*1 Reference:Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Menopausal symptoms

Menopausal symptoms are diverse but can be broadly classified into physical and mental symptoms. These symptoms often appear simultaneously, causing a significant decrease in quality of life.

[Physical symptoms]

• Hot flashes and sweating: Sudden flushing of the face, called hot flashes, and drenching sweat may be experienced, which sometimes result in loss of sleep.
• Palpitations/shortness of breath: Patients may feel as if their heart is stressed, due to symptoms such as a sudden increase in heart rate.
• Headache, stiff shoulders, and lower back pain: These symptoms are due to the involvement of disturbed autonomic nerve function and poor blood circulation.
• Malaise/fatigue: Patients feel a lack of energy; for example, they get tired easily even when performing simple tasks.

[Mental symptoms]

• Feeling irritated or depressed: Patients experience emotional instability, such as being easily depressed or irritable without any reason.
• Insomnia/sleep disorders: Patients find it difficult to fall asleep and tend to wake up several times at night.
• Decreased concentration and memory: Patients are less efficient at work or while doing housework and often feel forgetful.

These symptoms are likely to occur when the autonomic nerves become susceptible to the effects of hormonal imbalance and vary greatly depending on lifestyle and stress conditions. *2
*2 Reference: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Causes of menopausal symptoms

The main cause of menopausal symptoms is a rapid decrease in the secretion of estrogen and progesterone owing to decreased ovarian function. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain control the balance of female hormones, but when estrogen and progesterone are insufficient, the autonomic nervous system’s ability to regulate hormone secretion becomes disrupted, leading to the development of various symptoms.
Moreover, symptoms may become serious when the following factors overlap.

• Lifestyle habits (dietary habits, lack of physical activity): Nutritional deficiency and lack of physical activity decrease the basal metabolism, thereby exacerbating the decline in physical fitness and autonomic nerve dysfunction.
• Genetic factors: Some women may have a family history of severe menopausal symptoms.
• Age-related changes in the body: Progressively decreasing bone mass (osteoporosis), increasing cholesterol, and decreasing muscle mass can disturb the balance of the whole body.

Because the combination of these multifaceted factors diversifies and prolongs the symptoms, a single coping strategy will not produce sufficient results in many cases. *3

*3 Reference: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Stem cell therapy as a promising radical treatment for menopausal symptoms

Conventional therapies for menopausal symptoms vary from hormone replacement therapy to herbal medicine and supplements, or counseling. These therapies effectively relieve symptoms and help to adapt to changes in the body. In particular, the hormones used in hormone replacement therapy at our hospital, called bioidentical hormones, have the same chemical structures as human hormones and can thus achieve a significant improvement in symptoms with fewer adverse reactions.
However, cellular senescence cannot be hindered by hormone replacement therapy alone. This issue can be addressed using stem cell therapy—a regenerative medicine approach.
Our approach involves the simultaneous administration of stem cell therapy, i.e., regenerative medicine, with hormone replacement therapy. Utilizing the differentiation ability of stem cells and secretion of various growth factors is expected to help in adjusting the energy and hormonal balance at the cellular level in the whole body.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is a regenerative medicine technique that repairs damaged tissues and function using stem cells, which are extracted from sources such as bone marrow and fat, cultured, and returned to the body. Stem cells possess the ability to both self-renew and undergo multilineage differentiation, i.e., they can differentiate into various cells as needed. Moreover, the secretion of cytokines by stem cells is expected to promote the repair of surrounding tissues. In the case of menopausal symptoms, considering that the whole body is disturbed by hormonal imbalance, stem cells may comprehensively support the functions of tissues and organs by working at the cellular level.

Advantages of stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy for menopausal symptoms may display the following advantages.

• Wide-ranging, simultaneous action: The multifaceted effects of stem cells are expected to alleviate multiple menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, sweating, and mental unwellness, which occur simultaneously.
• Fundamental improvement of physical condition: Rather than merely providing symptom relief, stem cell therapy aims to achieve balance at the cellular level in the body, potentially addressing the root causes of the symptoms.
• Fewer side effects: When autologous stem cells are used, rejection is less common, and no serious adverse reactions occur.

Reasons why stem cell therapy is effective

Stem cells may support the homeostasis of the whole body, including hormones, by secreting cytokines, differentiating cells, and promoting angiogenesis. Since they are expected to improve cell-to-cell communication and suppress inflammation, some believe that the therapy could alleviate menopausal symptoms, which are associated with disruption of the autonomic nervous system and hormonal regulation. However, the degree and duration of the effects vary greatly among individuals, and currently, many areas of stem cell therapy are still under research. Careful judgment and thorough consultation with specialists are essential.

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

The Regenerative Medicine Division of Korokai Medical Corporation uses the following process when providing stem cell therapy for menopausal symptoms.

1. Initial counseling and tests: We will check the patient’s symptoms, hormonal balance, and health status, and consider whether stem cell therapy can be administered. Blood and hormone tests will also be performed.
2. Stem cell collection and culture: Stem cells will be extracted from the patient’s adipose tissue and cultured in a clean room. Safety and quality control will be implemented strictly.
3. Design of administration plan: The frequency and route (e.g., intravenous infusion) of administration of stem cells will be determined according to the type and severity of symptoms, physical strength of patients, etc.
4. Administration and follow-up: The patient who received the stem cells will be followed up every few days or every week. Additional administration may be required. We may prescribe dietary guidance combined with exercise therapy to enhance the therapeutic effects of stem cells.

Through these comprehensive procedures, we aim to administer the optimal treatment for each patient according to their physical constitution and lifestyle.

Possibility of treating menopausal symptoms using stem cells

Patients undergoing menopause experience various symptoms caused by the loss of physiological and mental balance due to a rapid decrease in estrogen. Stem cell therapy, which has attracted attention as a regenerative medicine technique, is believed to have the potential to stimulate cellular-level activation and regulation of hormonal and immune balance in the body. This is an area where future development as a new treatment option is anticipated because it is expected to alleviate multiple symptoms associated with menopause in a multifaceted manner.

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, a stem cell therapy clinic in Tokyo, carefully selects evidence-based treatment and offers regenerative medicine according to each individual’s concerns based on novel comprehensive treatment strategies. To optimize the results, oral therapies such as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or peptide therapy may be combined with stem cell therapy according to the patient’s needs.
*4 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 diagnosis).
Please consult us for further 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 from other countries
There are no reports on safety in other countries.
*Significant risks may not have been identified.
[8] The fact that it has not been approved
Drugs used in this treatment are yet to receive 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.
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