Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:
Ways to Administer: Medical procedure performed at a specialized clinic

Bottom Line: Embryonic stem cells to treat Lyme disease or any illness is in its infancy. Little is known about outcomes, and there’s a high initial cost for a big unknown. However, autologous, fat stem cell therapy is a reasonable alternative to consider for joint health.

Overview

Stems cell therapy is somewhat new to the scene when it comes to interventions for chronic Lyme disease. There are two ways to obtain stem cells: one way is through embryonic stem cells you get from another human. The other is from fat stem cells gathered from fatty tissues in your body (autologous).

Stem cells are pluripotent cells, meaning they can become any other cells in the body — heart cells, liver cells, immune cells, etc. When they’re injected into parts of the body, like the joints or the bloodstream, they may help restore certain functions. For example, if you have a compromised immune system, stem cell therapy is, theoretically, a way to provide it with some reinforcements.

Efficacy

Our understanding of embryonic stem cells for treating any type of illness is still in its infancy. While it’s promising, there’s still a lot to learn. As for its application to Lyme disease specifically, there’s limited research on the topic. Anecdotally, I’ve known two patients who have had embryonic stem cells so far, and both of them only had mild benefits that didn’t last.

On the other hand, autologous stem cell therapy for joint regeneration is now widely performed and accepted across the country. For individuals with loss of joint cartilage great enough to be considering joint replacement, this is a very reasonable first alternative to consider.

Safety

Because embryonic stem cell therapy is a newer option for chronic Lyme disease, there’s not much information regarding the safety, and we don’t know what their long-term effects might be. However, autologous stem cells don’t require donor cells, so the risk associated with their use is reduced.

Cost

Possibly the biggest drawback for embryonic stem cells is a high initial cost for an unknown procedure with little assurance of a positive outcome. Autologous stem cell therapy may be covered by insurance, depending on the condition that’s being treated.

Dr. Bill Rawls’ Treatment Guide

Want to see more Lyme disease treatment ratings? See What Dr. Rawls has to say about popular treatments and therapies in his Lyme Disease Treatment Guide.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.