Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

A biotechnologist from Japan said mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow of the healthy and the young, cures inflammatory conditions and so far, some illnesses.

“First of all, the human body is made up of stem cells. These stem cells are from the fertilized egg of the mother. These are also anti-aging,” said Prof. Denys Bilko.

He added: “But, not all stem cells are the same. There are dangerous types (which may lead to other sicknesses). The use of embryonic stem cells is haram because these stem cells are (derived from the fetus resulting from abortion.)”

The health benefits of stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells surfaced in the early years of the 1900s in the former Soviet Union with discoverers Dr. Alexander Maximov and Dr. Alexander Freidenstein.

Bilko explained by using fire as the representation of inflamed body organs.

“Stem cells could smell and trace the fire. When the stem cells come to the source of the fire (the inflammation), they are able to shut the fire down and (from thereon) stimulate regeneration.”

Some 60,580 scientific research papers have been produced regarding the health benefits of mesenchymal stem cells; 79 in the Middle East and North Africa.

Bilko said every newborn has 1/10,000 mesenchymal stem cells which decrease to 1/25,000 by age 30; worsened by “environmental factors and lifestyle.” What remains by age 80 is one every two million.

Bilko is the Biotechnology Sector director of Kintaro Cells Power Corporation, a Tokyo-based biotechnology company, which has developed a scientific system that collects and cultures mesenchymal stem cells from “diseased-free, cancer-free, physically-fit screened donors between 18 and 24 years old for a (growing) list of diseases.”

The diseases include chronic inflammatory conditions and those severely and fatally affecting the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, heart, liver, joints, and kidneys.