"Unfortunately, there are many desperate patients who currently view stem-cell therapy as their only hope of improvement and these are open to exploitation by clinics offering immediate treatments for which there is no supporting scientific evidence. This has resulted in the widespread phenomenon of “stem-cell tourism”".
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The Irish Times - Thursday, December 9, 2010
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Early research into the medical efficacy of stem-cell therapies is extremely promising, but we must be patient while techniques are perfected, writes PAUL O'DONOGHUE
GIVEN THE impending general election and likely change in government, it seems a good time to consider some issues concerning stem-cell research and treatment. This is of particular importance given the lack of any legislative regulatory framework in this country concerning human embryos and embryonic stem cells or assisted human reproduction.
The potential for stem-cell research to produce effective treatments in a wide variety of conditions appears vast. Many interesting and promising results have emerged over the past few years to support this point of view.
The potential for stem-cell research to produce effective treatments in a wide variety of conditions appears vast. Many interesting and promising results have emerged over the past few years to support this point of view.
Research from Stanford Medical School has resulted in normal brain connections occurring in mice following transplantation of neurons grown from embryonic stem cells. This has implications for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease.
At the University of California, Irvine, researchers have constructed an early stage retina from embryonic stem cells which provides essential data towards the potential development of therapies for devastating eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, which is a common cause of blindness. Other centres, including the University of London and Moorfields Eye Hospital, have added to this data base with independent research results.
Several other centres have carried out pioneering work on cancer. At the University of Connecticut, scientists vaccinated mice with embryonic stem cells conferring an immune response against colon cancer cells, while at the University of Minnesota, mouse tumours were eliminated following administration of embryonic stem cells.
Other applications of stem cells have resulted in advances in animal models relating to many more conditions, including cartilage damage, diabetes, hearing loss, heart disease, lung disease, memory loss, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke.
The above examples illustrate the hope provided by stem-cell research for effective future treatment and control of conditions which today are beyond the capacity of the scientific and medical communities to address. Many of these are hugely debilitating and life threatening.
However, it is crucial to realise that research, while promising, is still at the very early stages with just a few treatments moving towards clinical trials in humans. It will be many years before results translate into clinical practice.
Unfortunately, there are many desperate patients who currently view stem-cell therapy as their only hope of improvement and these are open to exploitation by clinics offering immediate treatments for which there is no supporting scientific evidence. This has resulted in the widespread phenomenon of “stem-cell tourism”.
There have been many reported cases of patients paying very large sums of money with no real improvement in their conditions. Many clinics offering stem-cell treatment are located in countries with few controls operating to protect patient welfare. Advanced Cell Therapeutics is an example of one such clinic which operated in Ireland until it was closed down by the Irish Medicines Board in 2006. It had taken over the business of BioMark, a US company that closed in 2003 following an investigation by the FDA. The two founders of the company are currently in South Africa fighting extradition warrants from the US to face 51 counts relating to fraud.
The Irish clinic had 400 UK patients booked in for treatment that was illegal in their own country, at a cost of up to £12,000. When the Irish Medicines Board began investigations, the clinic offered to carry out treatments on the Cork to Swansea ferry while in international waters.
As noted previously, there is no legislation in this area in Ireland. It is important that this situation is addressed urgently. So far, no action has been taken by Government. This has resulted in some academic institutions, including UCC and TCD, dra
wing up their own guidelines concerning embryo research. This is a far from ideal state of affairs.
In the Supreme Court judgment in the “frozen embryos” case in December 2009 it was decided that the right to life of the unborn did not extend to frozen fertilised embryos. Several of the judges commented critically on the failure of the Government to legislate on the relevant issues.
This is an area of obvious importance to science and scientists. It is also one in which, in the words of Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan, the moral and ethical problems are legion. It is crucial that there is continuing and open debate on both stem-cell research and assisted human reproduction, but even more crucial that the Government bite the bullet and legislate.
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In the Supreme Court judgment in the “frozen embryos” case in December 2009 it was decided that the right to life of the unborn did not extend to frozen fertilised embryos. Several of the judges commented critically on the failure of the Government to legislate on the relevant issues.
This is an area of obvious importance to science and scientists. It is also one in which, in the words of Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan, the moral and ethical problems are legion. It is crucial that there is continuing and open debate on both stem-cell research and assisted human reproduction, but even more crucial that the Government bite the bullet and legislate.
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For patients who may be considering alternative stem-cell therapy, it would be helpful in informing their decision to read the Patient Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies, which is published by the International Society for Stem Cell Research and is available at isscr.org .
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Note* The ISSCR Link Is Located On Sidebar Of This Blog
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Paul O’Donoghue is a clinical psychologist and founder member of the Irish Skeptics Society. For information on an upcoming presentation on stem-cell research see irishskeptics.org
Paul O’Donoghue is a clinical psychologist and founder member of the Irish Skeptics Society. For information on an upcoming presentation on stem-cell research see irishskeptics.org
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From Nature
Published online 8 December 2010 Nature 468, 746 (2010) doi:10.1038/468746a
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Stem-cell progress
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Stem-cell progress
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Ever since scientists first switched adult human cells into an embryonic-like state from which they can develop into any tissue type, recipes for making these induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have multiplied.
However, many rely on the introduction of foreign genes by viruses, which makes the altered cells unsuitable for use in patients. Now researchers have replaced all but one of the genes with a cocktail of chemicals, taking scientists a step closer to creating patient-specific iPS cells that could be used in the clinic.
Ever since scientists first switched adult human cells into an embryonic-like state from which they can develop into any tissue type, recipes for making these induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have multiplied.
However, many rely on the introduction of foreign genes by viruses, which makes the altered cells unsuitable for use in patients. Now researchers have replaced all but one of the genes with a cocktail of chemicals, taking scientists a step closer to creating patient-specific iPS cells that could be used in the clinic.
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ISSCR Website For Patients :
Ten Things You Should Know If Your Looking For A Stem Cell Therapy
Patient Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies
Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells
NEW "ISSCR" Website
Ten Things You Should Know If Your Looking For A Stem Cell Therapy
Patient Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies
Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells
NEW "ISSCR" Website
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