In the quest to develop innovative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have turned to an unconventional source: menstrual blood, the Daily Mail reports.
Recent research indicates that stem cells derived from menstrual blood—known as MenSCs—may hold significant promise in combating the devastating effects of this neurological disorder.
Menstrual blood contains stem cells capable of transforming into various types of cells in the body. For Alzheimer’s, these stem cells can potentially become neurons and glial cells, which are critical for brain function but are damaged and depleted as the disease progresses. Stem cell therapy has already been used for various conditions, but MenSCs offer unique advantages due to their availability and rapid growth rate.
Unlike bone marrow stem cells, which are commonly used in therapy but require invasive harvesting, MenSCs are easily obtained from the blood shed during menstruation. Research led by Chinese scientists at Zhejiang University demonstrated that MenSCs could reduce harmful protein deposits—plaques—in the brains of mice engineered to develop Alzheimer’s. These plaques disrupt brain cell function and are a hallmark of the disease.
In the study, researchers isolated stem cells from menstrual blood samples donated by healthy women. These cells were cultured and injected into the brains of mice exhibiting Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. Post-treatment, fluorescent dye tests revealed a significant reduction in brain plaque levels.
Behavioral improvements were also observed. In a water maze test, mice that received MenSC therapy were better able to locate a submerged platform compared to untreated mice, indicating restored memory and spatial learning abilities.
MenSCs multiply much faster than bone marrow stem cells, doubling in just 19 hours compared to the two-to-eight-day timeframe for their bone marrow counterparts. This rapid proliferation could make treatments more efficient and scalable.
Additionally, MenSCs are harvested non-invasively, making them a less cumbersome and more accessible resource. According to regenerative medicine physician Dr. David Woznica, MenSCs also yield two to four times more stem cells per volume compared to bone marrow, further underscoring their potential utility.
While the findings from animal models are promising, clinical trials in humans are needed to validate the safety and efficacy of MenSC therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Small-scale studies have shown that MenSCs can be safely implanted in humans without adverse side effects, but the research is still in its early stages.
Beyond Alzheimer’s, scientists believe MenSCs could be used to address other medical conditions, including autoimmune diseases, heart tissue repair after heart attacks, and lung injuries.
