The words “stem cell research and therapy” evoke a number of responses. In emotionally vulnerable patients, a sense of hope. In scientists, a great deal of excitement about future prospects. In the case of legal experts and ethicists, a need to ensure that patient safety and a spirit of distributive justice are maintained. And in the minds of entrepreneurs, an opportunity to develop a profitable business.
Stem cells are the building blocks of our bodies. They are able to differentiate into the more that 200 cell types that make up our bodies. From a fertilized egg to a full-fledged human being, which contains billions of cells, the purpose of stem cells during development in the womb is to ensure normal structure and function.
In postnatal life, stem cells replace those cells that have been damaged by wear and tear or by disease.
Gaining Momentum
In research, stem cells are at the cutting edge of science, with regular breakthroughs being announced in the field. By 2012, it was estimated that there were close to 100,000 active stem cell researchers across the globe. Massive funding is being directed globally into research, which continues to provide hope to millions of patients.
Stem cell therapy translates the research findings into potential cures for many diseases. For instance, for more than 50 years, bone marrow transplants—also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplants—have been used to treat patients with blood cancers such as leukemia and blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
When a person with cancer undergoes conditioning chemotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells in the body, in the process, this treatment also destroys the patient’s own stem cells. Bone marrow transplants are used to replace these stem cells. This form of treatment is universally employed, and accepted.
More recently, skin grown from stem cells has been used to treat extensive burns, and stem cells from fat (adipose tissue) have been used as tissue fillers.
The Reality of Stem Cells Versus Future Promise
Stem cell treatment has saved many lives. But there are also elements of stem cells that have been mired in controversy.
As a result of stem cells becoming a buzzword, there has been a proliferation of websites offering dubious treatments, luring people who are emotionally vulnerable due to their incurable diseases. There is rarely any form of control over what these clinics place on their websites, let alone the treatments they offer.
Aside from bone marrow transplants and stem cells used for burns, almost all other conditions for which stem cells are advertised to provide a cure are still in an experimental stage. Globally, there are hundreds of legitimate clinical trials underway to assess the effect of stem cells in a variety of conditions, including heart disease, spinal cord injury, blindness, and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few.
