Friday, April 19, 2019

The Controversy Surrounding Stem Cell Research Facilities

By Mary Bell


Medical science has advanced over the past few years at an astounding pace. Diseases that used to be virtual death sentences are now routinely treated successfully. Millions of people enjoy longer lives thanks to advanced medical treatment. Organ transplants have become routine and serious physical disabilities can be corrected. New techniques and drugs are developed almost daily. Stem cell research facilities, for example, believe that they are on the verge of revolutionizing medicine as it is known today.

Bone marrow transplants are nothing new. They have been performed for some years but thus far only for patients suffering from blood related cancers, such as leukemia. These patients receive chemo therapy that indiscriminately kills all blood cells. With the transplants doctors hope that that the growth of new healthy cells will be encouraged. This is still a last resort remedy, however, and the success rate is low.

Bone marrow transplants are not, as some people think, a cure for cancer. It can prolong the lives of patients at best. Scientists nevertheless believe that further studies will eventually lead to a cure for many kinds of cancer. Unfortunately, this type of research is time consuming and progress is extremely slow. Bone marrow transplants as a cure for cancer are not foreseen in the immediate future.

While huge efforts are made to develop bone marrow transplants into a cure for cancer, many scientists are also studying the possibilities of these transplants in other areas. Many studies are conducted to find ways in which transplants will be able to repair brain damage caused by accidents and conditions such as strokes. They hope that it will become possible to replace damaged brain cells with healthy ones.

Finding a cure for many heart conditions is another field of study into the possible uses of bone marrow transplants. Again, the hope is that it would become possible to stimulate the growth of healthy cells inside the heart in order to replace damaged ones. In effect, the heart defects will be repaired from within. Millions of people die from heart disease and progress in this area will definitely save numerous lives.

While researchers are confident about the many possible uses of bone marrow transplants, critics say that there is no evidence that these transplants hold any benefits. The procedure is dangerous, they say, and there is no proof that they actually make any difference at all. In addition, critics say that the harvesting of cells to be transplanted from umbilical cords of unborn babies can open a whole new can of worms.

Critics also accuse researchers in this field of misleading the public, the medical fraternity and they authorities. Promises of imminent breakthroughs are vastly exaggerated. Results are still many years in the future and there is not a scrap of evidence that bone marrow transplants will become a cure for various diseases. In the process, critics say, these researchers receive vast amounts of money that could have been used more productively elsewhere.

Whether bone marrow transplants will become the new miracle cure of the future remains to be seen. One thing is certain and that is that intensive research in this area continues unabated. One can only hope that there will indeed be positive results that will save lives.




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