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Complete Lasting Reversal of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from Intravenous Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusion

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Chadwick C Prodromos at The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine
Chadwick C Prodromos
  • The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine
Keanne Jabbarzadeh
Keanne Jabbarzadeh
Keanne Jabbarzadeh
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Mark Hirmiz
Mark Hirmiz
Mark Hirmiz
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Complete Lasting Reversal of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from Intravenous Umbilical
Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusion
Chadwick Prodromos MD, Keanne Jabbarzadeh, Mark Hirmiz
INTRODUCTION
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects an estimated 8–13% of reproductive-aged
women. Up to 70% of affected women remain undiagnosed worldwide. PCOS is the most
common cause of anovulation, a leading cause of infertility, and can produce many troubling
symptoms (1). Until now, there has been no cure for PCOS, only symptom management.
Studies show that people with PCOS have long-term, low-grade inflammation in which
polycystic ovaries produce androgens (male hormones) and insulin (2,3,4). This can lead to
heart and blood vessel problems (5). The chronic low-grade inflammation-induced polycystic
ovaries also may cause: missed periods, irregular periods, or very light periods, ovaries that are
large or have many cysts, excess body hair, including the chest, stomach, and back (hirsutism),
weight gain, especially around the belly (abdomen), acne or oily skin, male-pattern baldness or
thinning hair, and infertility (6). We here describe a remarkable case history of a PCOS patient
successfully treated with stem cells.
CASE HISTORY
A lean athletic 28 year old woman presented with a chief complaint of thinning hair (see
pictures). She was also noted to have ultrasound-diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome on
9/8/21 and abnormal hormone levels with a progesterone level of 1.6 during the luteal phase
whereas normal is 2 – 25. Her periods had been irregular lifelong since menarche at age 14,
usually 9 per year. She was told by her gynecologist that none of these problems were serious
enough to require treatment, and her only troubling symptom was mild, but bothersome, scalp
hair thinning.
We told her that intravenous injection of umbilical cord derived stem cells along with
injection of these stem cells underneath the skin of the scalp generally results in hair thickening.
We did not address her PCOS as she had no other symptoms referable to it and was not
seeking care for it.
STEM CELL TREATMENT
After informed consent she had an infusion of 130 million umbilical cord derived AlloRx
stem cells (vitro biopharma in Golden Colorado). She also had multiple subdermal injections
totalling 20 million AlloRx stem cells distributed evenly in her scalp. Lidocaine was not used to
avoid toxicity to the stem cells. She received 10 mg diazepam orally prior to the procedure.
The procedure was accomplished without incident.
FOLLOW-UP
At her four month follow up, she noted definite visible new hair growth and hair
thickening. (Figure 1)
Before Stem Cell Treatment 4 Months after Stem Cell Treatment
She also, however, noted that her menstrual periods had been completely regular every
month beginning the first month after her treatment – for the first time in her life. Four months
after the first treatment she elected repeat treatment to further accelerate her hair thickening.
At her 10 month follow-up she noticed continued scalp hair thickening, and continued
regular periods. She also noted that the occasional skin breakouts that she had prior to the stem
cell treatment were now entirely gone. We decided at this point to check her hormone levels
and found that her progesterone level was now normal at 0.5 in the follicular phase. On
10/9/23 we obtained an ultrasound of her ovaries and to our surprise found the previously
present cysts were now completely gone. At her last follow up - 18 months after her first
treatment and 14 months after her second - she noticed substantially thicker hair and continued
regular periods.
DISCUSSION
It would appear that the stem cell treatments resulted in complete reversal of her
polycystic ovary syndrome along with elimination of her thinning hair as well as elimination of
her mild skin disruptions – more than a year after her last treatment. We do not know if the first
stem cell infusion by itself accomplished this goal or if the second was also necessary. We
suspect the first alone was sufficient since she had immediate normalization of her menstrual
periods after this first treatment.
While this is only one patient it is clear that the stem cell treatment essentially eliminated
her PCOS. This brings up the exciting possibility that stem cell treatment may have wider
application in the treatment, even a cure, of this disorder. This is particularly important since
there is no other treatment that directly addresses reversing PCOS. We are actively seeking to
treat other patients with this disorder to see if these results are consistent. It would be
particularly interesting to see if it could improve the infertility that some PCOS patients
experience.
CONCLUSION
Simple intravenous umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell infusion can eliminate
polycystic ovary syndrome for at least one year.
REFERENCES
1:
“Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization,
www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome#:~:text=Polycystic%20ov
ary%20syndrome%20(PCOS)%20affects,a%20leading%20cause%20of%20infertility. Accessed
30 Jan. 2024.
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Rudnicka E, Suchta K, Grymowicz M, Calik-Ksepka A, Smolarczyk K, Duszewska AM,
Smolarczyk R, Meczekalski B. Chronic Low Grade Inflammation in Pathogenesis of PCOS. Int J
Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 6;22(7):3789. doi: 10.3390/ijms22073789. PMID: 33917519; PMCID:
PMC8038770.
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Ye W, Xie T, Song Y, Zhou L. The role of androgen and its related signals in PCOS. J Cell Mol
Med. 2021 Feb;25(4):1825-1837. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.16205. Epub 2020 Dec 23. PMID:
33369146; PMCID: PMC7882969.
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Burghen GA, Givens JR, Kitabchi AE. Correlation of hyperandrogenism with hyperinsulinism in
polycystic ovarian disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1980 Jan;50(1):113-6. doi:
10.1210/jcem-50-1-113. PMID: 7350174.
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Osibogun O, Ogunmoroti O, Michos ED. Polycystic ovary syndrome and cardiometabolic risk:
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Syndrome. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Mar 1;64(1):3-11. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000563.
PMID: 32701517; PMCID: PMC10683967.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Chronic Low Grade Inflammation in Pathogenesis of PCOS
Article
Full-text available
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a one of the most common endocrine disorders, with a prevalence rate of 5–10% in reproductive aged women. It’s characterized by (1) chronic anovulation, (2) biochemical and/or clinical hyperandrogenism, and (3) polycystic ovarian morphology. PCOS has significant clinical implications and can lead to health problems related to the accumulation of adipose tissue, such as obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. There is also evidence that PCOS patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure. Several studies have reported the association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and low-grade chronic inflammation. According to known data, inflammatory markers or their gene markers are higher in PCOS patients. Correlations have been found between increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 18 (IL-18), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), white blood cell count (WBC), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) in the PCOS women compared with age- and BMI-matched controls. Women with PCOS present also elevated levels of AGEs and increased RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) expression. This chronic inflammatory state is aggravating by obesity and hyperinsulinemia. There are studies describing mutual impact of hyperinsulinemia and obesity, hyperandrogenism, and inflammatory state. Endothelial cell dysfunction may be also triggered by inflammatory cytokines. Many factors involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and thrombosis were proposed as cardiovascular risk markers showing the endothelial cell damage in PCOS. Those markers include asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-I), PAI-I activity, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) etc. It was also proposed that the uterine hyperinflammatory state in polycystic ovary syndrome may be responsible for significant pregnancy complications ranging from miscarriage to placental insufficiency. In this review, we discuss the most importance evidence concerning the role of the process of chronic inflammation in pathogenesis of PCOS.
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The role of androgen and its related signals in PCOS
Article
Full-text available
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women at reproductive age. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms have not been completely understood. Hyperandrogenism is an important clinic feature in patients with PCOS, suggesting its pathologic role in the development and progression of PCOS. However, the actual role of androgen and the related signals in PCOS and PCOS‐related complications have not yet been clarified. In this review, we surveyed the origin and effects of androgen on PCOS and the related complications, highlighted the cellular signals affecting androgen synthesis and summarized the pathological processes caused by hyperandrogenism. Our review well reveals the important mechanisms referring the pathogenesis of PCOS and provides important clues to the clinic strategies in patients with PCOS.
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Risk: Opportunities for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2019
  • TRENDS CARDIOVAS MED
Although polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting women, its etiology is not entirely understood. Clinical symptoms of PCOS include acne, amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, hirsutism, infertility, and mood disorders, which tend to be the primary focus of clinical management. However, the impact of PCOS on future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk should not be overlooked, and opportunities to implement CVD prevention strategies in these women should be given high priority. The pathogenesis of PCOS commonly involves insulin resistance which leads to several cardiometabolic abnormalities (e.g., dyslipidemia, hypertension, glucose intolerance, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome), thereby putting women at an increased risk for CVD. Prior studies have found that subclinical CVD markers such as coronary artery calcium scores, C-reactive protein, carotid intima-media thickness, and endothelial dysfunction are more likely to be increased in women with PCOS. While the associations between PCOS and cardiometabolic abnormalities have been well established, whether PCOS is associated with subclinical and clinical CVD, independently of these CVD risk factors, is not entirely clear. Lifestyle interventions and weight management may mitigate some of these future CVD risks and should be encouraged. This review summarizes the literature on PCOS and CVD risk factors and provides recommendations that would aid clinicians in the management of these risk factors.
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Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Article
  • Jul 2020
  • CLIN OBSTET GYNECOL
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy with many clinical manifestations. The effects on women's lives start at puberty and can last throughout her lifetime. Women frequently experience anovulatory menstrual cycles, infertility, hirsutism, obesity and increased risk of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, and metabolic syndrome. PCOS is a heterogenous disorder, and a diagnosis of exclusion. In general, women afflicted will have menstrual irregularities, ultrasound findings of abnormal ovarian size and morphology, and clinical or laboratory evidence of hyperandrogenism. This chapter reviews the current understanding of PCOS, associated metabolic abnormalities, and diagnosis in reproductive-aged women, as well as adolescents.
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Correlation of Hyperandrogenism with Hyperinsulinism in Polycystic Ovarian Disease*
Article
  • Feb 1980
We evaluated basal plasma total immunoreactive insulin (insulin), androstenedione, and testosterone in 14 obese women: 8 with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and 6 obese controls. All 3 hormones were significantly elevated (P less than 0.02 to P less than 0.001) in PCOD patients. A significant correlation among basal levels of plasma insulin, androstenedione, and testosterone was demonstrated. The PCOD group had significantly higher levels of glucose at 1, 2, and 3 h, with similar significant increases in plasma insulin levels at 0, 2, and 3 h. A significant correlation was found between plasma insulin response areas and plasma testosterone (P less than 0.001) in the control and PCOD patients. These studies demonstrate that hyperandrogenism correlates with hyperinsulinism.
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