Fresh cell therapy (synonyms: fresh cell therapy, organotherapy, cellular therapy) is a complementary medical procedure developed in the 1930s by the Swiss physician Paul Niehans (1882-1971). This form of therapy belongs to organotherapies and consists in a transfer of living, animal cells to humans. According to Paul Niehans, he succeeded in permanently curing a patient suffering from parathyroid tetany (painful muscle spasms caused by calcium deficiency after loss of the parathyroid glands, which hormonally control calcium balance) after thyroid surgery, with the help of a suspension of animal parathyroid cells. From this, the Geneva sanatorium director developed the fresh cell therapy, which was also called cellular therapy. This became very popular in the 1950s. This popularity culminated in February 1954 in a treatment of the sick Pope Pius XII, who is said to have recovered afterwards.
Due to the side effects of this method, fresh cell therapy is controversial and does not play a role today from the point of view of orthodox medicine. In 1997, fresh cell therapy was banned by the courts in Germany. In 2000, however, this ruling was overturned by the Federal Constitutional Court. There are no scientific studies that prove the effects postulated by Niehans.
Indications (areas of application)
- Degenerative diseases – e.g., rheumatic diseases.
- Neoplasia – tumors (cancer) of all kinds.
- Rejuvenation, complaints of old age
Contraindications
Due to the risks and side effects, the benefits of fresh cell therapy are controversial, so that the implementation of the therapy is usually not indicated.
The procedure
Fresh cell therapy involves the preparation of cell suspensions or “slurries” from animal organs, which are then administered by intramuscular injection (injection into the muscle). The organs of unborn lambs or calves are used to prepare the suspensions, since the fetal cells have not yet developed antigenic properties and therefore, according to Niehans, are tolerated by the patients without any problems. For this purpose, the organs are removed from the fetuses immediately after slaughter and rapidly processed within 40 minutes before the onset of autolysis (cell decay). However, due to this short period of time, bacteriological examination is not possible, so there is a risk of disease transmission.
This is treated similar to the homeopathic principle of “like with like”. This means that a heart disease is treated with heart cells and a kidney disease with a suspension of kidney cells. The further development of fresh cell therapy represents the preservation of cell suspensions by means of freeze-drying; these dry cells are more durable and are floated with saline solution before injection.
After therapy
After therapy, the patient is advised to take it easy.
Possible complications
- Allergic reaction – Mild reactions to anaphylactic shock (allergic shock) with circulatory failure and death.
- Infection – In particular, transmission of zoonoses (animal diseases) such as BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy; “mad cow disease”).