Stem cells – A reliable cure option for myotonic dystrophy treatment in India
Are you aware that early onset and late onset myotonic dystrophy both are curable with stem cell therapy?
Early onset and late onset myotonic muscular dystrophy both have unique symptoms and are challenging to treat. You may be confused about the treatment of these two types of the same disease.
But, stem cell therapy is a unique and effective treatment strategy for all types of myotonic muscular dystrophy. Most of your symptoms will get reduced by applying this therapy at the right time.
Let us know how Mr. Robin got cured of his myotonic dystrophy symptoms
Mr. Robin was happily living with his son and grandson and was planning a vacation to enjoy his retired life.
But, one Sunday he was going to the church and needed to lock the house door.
He properly locked all the windows, but when he tried to close the doorknob, his hand got fixed and he could not remove the grip from the lock.
It was his son John who somehow forced his father’s hand to loosen and saved his father from intense pain.
A few days after this incident, Robin was having difficulty walking. He had pain and stiffness in his toe.
His son took him to the doctor who had difficulty in diagnosing the disease. He prescribed a lot of tests and was also told to do a muscle biopsy of the hand.
Robin was detected with classical myotonic dystrophy. Although the disease was not causing any survival problems for him, he wanted to live an active life.
The doctor said that occupational therapy can help but cannot permanently cure the symptoms.
John told his father that he would like to contact MedicoExperts in India as they are pioneers in muscular dystrophy treatment using stem cell therapy.
Robin came to India and underwent several cycles of stem cell therapy.
His symptoms got reduced and he was able to live an active life again.
The family thanked MedicoExperts and doctors for their help.
Before we get into the treatment, let us first understand myotonic dystrophy in some detail.
What is myotonic dystrophy?
Myotonic dystrophy is a progressive disease with symptoms of muscle weakness and wasting along with prolonged muscle contractions.
It affects the skeletal muscles, cardiac muscles, eyes, nervous system, and endocrine system.
Let us see how many types of myotonic dystrophy are there.
What are the types of myotonic dystrophy?
There are two main types of myotonic dystrophy –
- Steinert disease Myotonic dystrophy or Type 1
- Proximal Myotonic Dystrophy or Type 2
Proximal myotonic dystrophy is less severe than Steinert’s disease.
The steinert disease can further be classified into classic, mild, congenital, and childhood myotonic dystrophy.
Let us understand what age groups are affected by myotonic dystrophy.
What age group is affected by myotonic dystrophy?
Age group affected by Steinert disease Myotonic dystrophy or Type 1
- Classic myotonic dystrophy – This begins in the 20s, 30s, or in 40s.
- Mild myotonic dystrophy – This starts after the age of 40 years and is mild in nature.
- Congenital myotonic dystrophy – This is present from the time of birth
- Childhood Myotonic Dystrophy – This starts at the age of 10 of a child
Age group affected by Type 2 Myotonic Dystrophy
- The onset of the disease is at 48 years.
Let us get an idea about the incidence of myotonic dystrophy in the population
What is the incidence of myotonic dystrophy in the population?
The affected persons ratio is 1 in 8000 people across the world. Type 1 is more common than type 2 myotonic dystrophy.
Symptoms of Steinert disease Myotonic dystrophy or Type 1
- Muscle weakness in the skeletal muscles away from the center of the body that is on the hand. Once a door knob is held for opening the door, it is difficult to remove the hand.
- Problem with toe muscles and abnormal steps while walking.
- Irregularities in heart muscle contraction and relaxation.
- A thin face because of muscle weakness in the face
Symptoms of the mild type include
- Mild muscle weakness
- Cataract
- Myotonia ( prolonged muscle contraction)
- Abnormal or less fetal movement in the uterus
- Accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain
- Excess amniotic fluid at the time of pregnancy
After birth the symptoms include
- Lack of proper speech
- Intellectual disability
- Distortion of the upper lip due to weak facial muscles
Symptoms of childhood myotonic dystrophy include
- Learning and intellectual disability
- Hand muscle weakness
- Heart muscle abnormality
Symptoms of Myotonic dystrophy type 2
- It has the following symptoms –
- Weakness in the muscles closer to the center of the body
- Early onset of cataract at the age of 50
- Muscle contraction in hand muscle creates grip problems
- Hearing problem
- Facial muscle weakness
What are the causes of Myotonic Dystrophy?
The gene changes or mutation in the DMPK gene causes type 1 myotonic dystrophy whereas the mutation in the CNBP gene causes myotonic dystrophy type 2.
It is the mutation in the genes that form defective messenger RNA from the gene (gene product). The defective messenger RNA can form defective proteins in the cell, leading to myotonic dystrophy.
The inheritance of the gene from the parents is autosomal dominant type, meaning that even if one copy of the gene is passed from either mother or the father, then the disease will be caused. Myotonic dystrophy condition can be caused by the presence of only one copy of the gene.
How is myotonic dystrophy diagnosed?
When you go to the physician for a diagnosis, the doctor will ask for
- Family history of myotonic dystrophy.
- Your symptoms
Based on that, the doctor may prescribe a battery of tests including checking the mutations in the DMPK and CNBP genes.
Apart from this, the doctor will also recommend the following tests
- Creatine kinase test – This enzyme is elevated in the blood if the skeletal and heart muscles are damaged. Therefore, it is an indicator of muscular problems including myotonic dystrophy.
- Electromyocardiogram – Electrical conductivity of the muscles is checked by passing a fine needle electrode into the muscles. If the electromyogram shows too many abnormalities, then a muscle disease can be predicted.
- Muscle biopsy involves taking a small piece of muscle and testing for abnormal myotonic dystrophy genes.
- Electrocardiogram – This involves checking the activity of the heart and the cardiac rhythms.
- Pulmonary Function test – This involves checking the nerve and muscle activity related to the lungs.
Let us have some idea about conventional treatment for myotonic dystrophy
What are the conventional treatment options available for Myotonic Dystrophy?
Medicines, surgery, and occupational therapy are some of the conventional treatment options.
Medicines – Sodium channel blockers, anti-depressants, and calcium antagonists are some of the medicines for this kind of dystrophy
Cataract Surgery – For certain types of myotonic dystrophy, cataracts be surgically treated
Neurostimulants – To treat a daytime sleep disorder, neurostimulators can be used
Testosterone– Synthetic testosterone can be used to treat myotonic dystrophy in a male who has erectile dysfunction
Occupational therapy – Physical therapy and occupational therapy will try to treat myotonic dystrophy through various types of exercises and activities. Speech therapy can be used to treat swallowing problems and speaking problems.
Advanced Stem cell treatment for myotonic dystrophy
Stem cells isolated from the bone marrow can produce myogenic cells in the presence of various stimulants and growth factors. The newly formed muscle cells can provide huge benefits for the patients and help to relieve their symptoms
New muscle cells derived from injected stem cells can reduce the symptoms of prolonged muscle contraction, muscle weakness, and fatigue. The patients will be able to perform daily tasks as their hand and leg muscles would begin to function normally.
Stem cells can be an ideal choice both for adult-onset and childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy as the new cells will immediately heal the damaged muscle cells in the body.
Benefits of Stem cell treatment for myotonic dystrophy
Stem cell therapy has the potential to cure intellectual disability, in childhood myotonic dystrophy. It can also be useful in treating muscular weakness and heart problems in Type 2 myotonic dystrophy.
Cost of Stem Cell Treatment for Myotonic Dystrophy
The cost of stem cell therapy for myotonic dystrophy treatment in India starts from USD 2000 per cycle, depending on the patient’s current condition, treating doctor, and suggested treatment protocol.
Conclusion
Myotonic dystrophy is a progressive disease and therefore early intervention by stem cells can reduce the manifestations of the symptoms to a great extent.
You should take appropriate actions as early as possible because complete damage to the cardiac muscles can cause heart attack and reduce the survival time of the patients. Particularly, for congenital myotonic dystrophy it is important to take fast action as the survival rate post 30 years is only 50%.
Medicoexperts is a 24*7 virtual global hospital involved in treating various forms of muscular dystrophy.
The virtual hospital board consists of doctors from different specialties including stem cell therapy and orthopedics. Myotonic muscular dystrophy which is a challenging disease to treat in children and adults can be successfully treated using modern technologies like advanced stem cell therapy in large hospitals and clinics.
Frequently Asked Questions and patient concerns:
Q1. What causes myotonic dystrophy?
Genetic mutations can cause myotonic dystrophy.
Q2. Is myotonic dystrophy life-threatening?
Myotonic dystrophy is not life-threatening but one cannot live an active life.
Q3. What is the current status of stem cell therapy from the regulatory framework?
The stem cell-based therapy is in the research phase and not yet formally approved by ICMR. However, the application of stem cells, popularly known as bone marrow transplants, in blood-related disorders is approved by ICMR.
MedicoExperts is a Global virtual hospital which is established to offer quality healthcare services at affordable pricing without compromising the success rates of the treatment.
MedicoExperts is having a network of highly experienced super specialist doctors and well equipped hospitals across the globe and offering second opinion through online video consultation and surgical interventions through its empanelled super specialist doctors at its network hospitals in 17 countries from 3 continents.
By the virtue of its approach and model, MedicoExperts is successfully achieve to deliver
- Latest and most advanced treatments with success rates of international benchmarks.
- Multiple cost options depending upon the hospital facilities, with the same doctor.
- Treatment option in multiple cities/state/countries.
- Trust and peace of mind.
Most suitable for patients who are looking for:-
- Planned Surgeries and treatment from most experienced doctors and at multiple cost options as per hospital facilities with best possible outcomes.
- Second Opinion from expert doctors.
- Complex cases involving multi specialities
- International patients looking for treatment from Indian doctors
