Stem cell therapy used to cure pregnancy-induced hypertension

Kolhapur, Sep 19 (UNI) A city-based senior gynaecologist today claimed that he had successfully cured pregnancy-induced hypertension using stem cell therapy.

Addressing a news conference here, Dr Satish Patki of Patki research centre and hospital said pregnancy-induced hypertension was a great challenge to all medical fraternity for hundreds of years, as to why some pregnant women could suddenly develop high blood pressure only during pregnancy was an unsolved problem.

It was the important cause for higher maternal and prenatal mortality and morbidity in India, Dr Patki said, adding, he had developed a unique autologue bone marrow derived stem cell theraphy to cure this grave disease with the help of senior scientist Dr Ramesh Bhonde, who is working at National Centre for Cell Science, a Government of India organisation.

He claimed that they had treated 15 pregnant women suffering from severe hypertension and associated complications by this novel technique. It had cured the disorder almost completely. Four patients had delivered healthy babies, he pointed out.

Hypertension develops after completion of 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The disease usually starts with swelling over legs, hands and puffiness of face, gradually. As a result, the pregnant woman starts showing spikes in the reading of her blood pressure, all this creates problems. Hence the disease is termed as 'Syndrome of theories', he said.

Such a pregnant woman needs hospitalisation for two days. The treatment does not require any major surgical procedures. The bone marrow aspiration does not need any major surgical procedures. The bone marrow aspiration is done and the sample is processed in the laboratory. The stem cell population is first isolated and then injected into the uterus at the site of placenta, Mr Patki said and added that after that, the patient started showing dramatic improvement in the blood pressure reading and got relief as well as healthy growth of child.

Dr Patki felt that a multi-centric larger study was required to evaluate the further efficacy of this research. He pointed out that he and Dr Bhonde had applied for patent of the concept.

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