dimanche 19 juin 2016

Stem Cell Therapy May Become The Next Big Medical Breakthrough

By Betty Hayes


During the past few decades a number of new treatment methods and medicines have revolutionised the medical field. The development of penicillin and antibiotics are just two examples. Patients that were sure to die in the past can now be successfully treated. Of course, research continues unabated and large sums are spent on finding cues for many medical conditions. Stem cell therapy promises to be one of the biggest breakthroughs ever made.

These therapies, commonly known as bone marrow transplants, have been around for thirty years. So far, however, most transplants were performed on patients that received chemotherapy for cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma. Chemotherapy destroys both healthy and diseased cells. Bone marrow transplants help to encourage the growth of new cellular material and to repair the damage caused by the chemotherapy to the immune system.

Transplants have proven life saving procedures for many cancer patients, but researchers say that, in the future, numerous other patients with a very wide variety of medical conditions will benefit. There are many experts that firmly believe that these procedures will prove to be among the most revolutionary medical advances ever. Already astonishing results have been achieved with animals in laboratory controlled experiments.

Much research is being conducted in the potential of bone marrow transplant with patients that suffers from conditions that cause degeneration of the brain. It is believed that the damage suffered by stroke victims and those with with Parkinson and Alzheimer disease or brain injuries will be reversible in the future. Even the effects of serious damage to the spinal cord will be reversed in future.

Another area of focus for research into bone marrow transplants is the treatment of various heart conditions. It is believed that it will become possible to use transplants to stimulate the growth of new heart muscles and tissue, to grow new blood vessels inside the heart and to aid in the recovery process after open heart surgery. It will still be some years, however, before humans will be able to benefit from this research.

Research in this field has many enemies. Some argue that it will lead to unethical medical practices because it is not only bone marrow that is used but also the blood from the umbilical cords of unborn babies. They also point out that patients are almost sure to die if their bodies reject the transplanted materials. The risks involved in the use of this technology are simply too high, they argue.

Critics also complain that researchers are overly optimistic about the potential uses for this technology and that they are misleading the public about the progress made thus far. They say that facilities that already offer this type of treatment raise false hopes in patients and that such treatments are nothing other than an indecent pursuit of profits.

The fact remains that much progress have been made and amazing laboratory results have been achieved. Massive efforts are being made to accelerate research efforts. Many eminent scientists firmly believe that this technology will prove to be one of the most important medical breakthroughs ever.




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