Stem Cell Research in Adults?

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cassandra

New member
Have read many articles on the Adult Stem cell
research therapy. And regarded by many scientists
to be potentially far superior to that of embryonic.

1. Adult stem cells do not cause
immunologic reactions because
they come from the patients own body
Serious problems have been documented
in embryonic stem cells because of this factor.

2. Adult stem cells do not become tumors,
in many cases embryonic stem cells have
become tumors

3. Adult stem cells can differentiate
just as much as embryonic stem cells

4. Adult stem cells can be taken from
a living donor , or the persons own body

5. Adult stem cell transplantation has
been reported successful by many
doctors and scientists and for
many disease conditions

6. They are developing therapies to
cause adults to increase their own production.

Below are some websites dealing with this
issue.

Thoughts are welcome after information
is read.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Stem Cell Issues

Cassandra - The site appears to be mostly about umbilical cord stem cells and your thoughts are about adult stem cells. I feel that both of these therapies present the best method available for those needing treatment today. Embryonic stem cell treatment is available, but iffy at best for most of us. I see no advantages for me in embryonic stem cell therapy and after last week's amazing announcement by Dr. Thompson that a breakthrough has been made whereby human skin cells can be manipulated by adding four genes to them, embryonic stem cell therapy may never become a preferred treatment. There are no ethical issues with umbilical cord or adult stem cells and the safety factor seems to be far superior to embryonic stem cell use at this point. If a treatment cannot give me a reasonable assurance of being safe, I would certainly pass it up in favor of another treatment that will produce good results with little or no safety issues. Anyone else care to comment?
 
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hlichten

Super Moderator
I agree 100% with Barbara.

As has been said here many times, anyone paying for and receiving stem cell treatment right now is truly a pioneer, which this website is named for.

In the computer and electronics world, this has long been referred to as "cutting edge". Basically, we are human guinea pigs or "beta testers" for these treatment techniques.

While we go into these treatments knowing that we are taking risks, our goal is to make these calculated risks, based on the most knowledge currently available.

Right now, that means treatment from either human cells, currently marrow or peripheral blood-based or cord blood-based depending on the condition being treated. Lung patients have been leaning more toward cord blood, and heart and other patients more toward human cells.

As more testing gets published and peer reviewed, and as we get closer to the FDA accepting treatment methods in the USA, this could change. The skin cell method could be the future for some treatments, we just don't know yet.

As I said, all we can do at this point is to minimize our dangers and maximize the odds of success as best as we can.

Again, agreeing with Barbara, I can only consider embryonic cell-based treatment to be very extremist and radical right now, with very high risk. I can only see it being remotely considered if someone had a very grim prognosis, and had tried one or more human or cord blood-based treatments.

Even then, I personally would not do it based on what is currently known.
 
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cassandra

New member
I am wondering why people are still touting the wonderfulness of embryonic stem cells which have not been proven to be effective at all---when we SHOULD be pouring money into Adult Stem Cell research, since they are plentiful (umbilical cords and many humans available) and they have been PROVEN to be effective?

Why are people still getting caught up in this political quagmire when we could be doing real good!!!
 
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sp1d3rdan

New member
Cassandra,

The fact that there are no effective human treatments yet using Embryonic stem cells is just a smoke screen by conservative opposition. The fact is that embryonic stem cells were only discovered in 1998 whereas adult stem cell were discovered in the 1970's. Embryonic stem cells have made cures in animal testing but naturally it takes many years of research and testing in animals before it can be even attempted in humans. It is widely believed amongst the medical research community that Embryonic stem cells holds the most likely cures for the future. It would have been equally as horrible if in the 1980's conservatives halted all adult stem cell research thus preventing thousands of people from being cured of leukemia and other blood bourne diseases.

As you can see adult stem cells have been around for over 30 years but have only been utilized for blood bourne diseases at least in the U.S.

The fact that they are able to coax skin cells into embryonic stem cells is a huge step to avoiding the use of Embryos. But they still do not know the potential of these new cells. Whereas the potential of ESC's is already known to become any type of cell in the human body.

I for one am excited about the recent news but I am still very behind embryonic stem cell research.

I still cannot believe that people believe that a tiny human egg is considered a valued human life when thousands of adult mice which have much more of a claim to life are murdered daily in the name of science. Yet a brainless, no good egg is believed to be human. It would be the same as if we treated the use of a chicken egg the same as an adult chicken. Two very different things.

Religion and human ethics on this subject have been taken way too far. The same could be said of human skin cell. As it now is known to have the potential to become and embryonic stem cell and later could possibly be implanted and fertilized into a human being. It's preposterous to have to defend a single cell's life as so many people suffer from debilitating illnesses.

I'm sure any young women suffering from parkinson's would gladly give all of her eggs up to achieve a cure for a disease that will kill her and all her eggs in due time.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Good thinking

This is an excellent reply to the embryonic debate. I only wish the religious right would think things through as sensibly as you have. I run a bird refuge and get lots of duck eggs as a result. We pick them up and eat them or give them away to people who like to eat duck eggs. These eggs are produced with or with a male duck and in no way would I ever consider these eggs to be ducklings. The entire ethical argument has gotten out of hand fueled by a small minority of people who may or may not even understand anything about embryonic stem cells. I agree with you 100 percent. Why would anyone condemn someone to an early death because of this. I just do not understand the argument. If they were purists and believed in reverence for life, they would be concerned about the mice and other living creatures that are killed by the millions in the name of science each year. I honestly cannot say I understand their argument whatsoever.
 
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hlichten

Super Moderator
cassandra said:
I am wondering why people are still touting the wonderfulness of embryonic stem cells which have not been proven to be effective at all---when we SHOULD be pouring money into Adult Stem Cell research, since they are plentiful (umbilical cords and many humans available) and they have been PROVEN to be effective?

Why are people still getting caught up in this political quagmire when we could be doing real good!!!
Click to expand...

I suggest that you start by going to wikipedia and reading many of the hyperlinks about stem cell potency and other definitions.
at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

There is truly a wealth of information about stem cell basics on the web.

Also, go here:
http://www.stemcellpioneers.com/misc.php?do=page&template=book
to order forum founder's Barbara and Jeannine's book.

The embryonic cells have the potential to be any cell in the human body. The adult and cord blood-based cells do not. Whether the embryonic cells live up to that potential, or whether the skin cells do is unknown, and we can only hope that they do. What they can totally cure is unknown at this time.

We do know that human (either autologous or non-autologous) or cord blood (again autologous if saved from your own birth) can not do everything in terms of making any cell in the human body, although they are apparently quite capable for assisting with many ailments. Again, what they can totally cure is unknown.

As for the ongoing debate of "when does life begin" which fuels both the embryonic stem cell debate and the abortion debate, we can only hope for some logic to ultimately prevail.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Confusing for sure

Cassandra - Stem cells are being used to treat disease. The people who have had treatment that are members of this forum are living proof of that. Some of us have had umbilical cord stem cell therapy and others have had adult stem cell therapy (from their own marrow). The situation that is probably confusing to you (and I might add to all of us) is why isn't this technology being used in the U.S., U.K. and other developed countries now. What is the hold up? Some of it is mired in political debate and some in ethical issues which truly make no sense. Those of us who cannot or do not want to wait years while the debate rages on and research is continued on rodents, decided to go outside the countries where we live and have treatment for our diseases. I am very thankful to the countries that are allowing stem cell treatment. It is available in the U.S., but only for limited uses. COPD, which I suffer from, was not an approved use and I can truly say, I believe that a 7-10 year wait is in store for anyone seeking treatment in the U.S. While safety is a major concern, so is endangering lives by taking the slow road. There are millions of people who would volunteer in a heart beat for clinicals so why are researchers still fiddling around with mice? I have to laugh when some group announces a new finding that may one day help someone with MS or Parkinsonism, etc. The truth of the matter is that this help is already available, only not in the U.S. or many other countries. These new "breakthroughs" are really nothing new especially when it is only a mouse that got tested with it. The "breakthrough" is already being implemented in humans in stem cell friendly countries so the only thing new is that it was announced by a research group in the U.S. or a country where stem cell therapy is not allowed. This is my two cents, nothing more, but I am disgusted with how many lives are being lost by political posturing and undoubtedly pressure from large pharmaceutical companies.
 
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sp1d3rdan

New member
interestingly enough you can take your pet to the Vet and get adult stem cell therapy for less than $2000 to treat many orthopedic injuries. I for one believe that in less than 5 years you will see many elite athletes here in the U.S. getting adult stem cell therapy to treat their orthopedic injuries.

Athletes are usually the first to try "experimental" therapies because they have the money and are willing to take "risks" on treatments since it can make or break their careers. Hopefully this will quicken the pace for chronic and life-threatening diseases soon thereafter.

Adult stem cells seem to be able to treat so many diseases and so far have very little to no risks or side-effects. More importantly it is a permanent treatment not a band-aid. It will only be in the next few years that the doors will really be blown open on this new technology.

Once the word is out, doctor's and researchers will be treating even mild problems with stem cell like allergies.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Orthopedic stem cell treatment

If you'll recall the first orthopedic clinic that is legally using stem cells for treatment has opened recently in my home state of Colorado. I posted some info on them previously. Harv was also very interested because as he pointed out a person could go in with some minor arthritis or some such orthopedic problem and get a stem cell treatment which in turn could possibly help them with other problems that are not yet legally being treated with stem cells in the U.S. The first public announcement of this clinic came at a press conference where athletes were present.
 
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sp1d3rdan

New member
Interesting. I'm glad to hear that they have actually begun making it available to people. I did read an article that some doctor used it in the U.S. for treating a person who needed a hip replacement. But I thought it was more experimental than routine.

I wonder if this will spread quickly as the risks appear to be minimal and very uninvasive. Thanks for the information. It is exciting to hear about.

If a doctor told me he needed to surgically rebuild my knee or just inject me with stem cells to fix the problem. I think I'd go for the stem cells.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Regenerative Sciences, Inc.

If anyone missed my original post about the company in Colorado who is treating orthopedic patients with stem cells, the name of it is Regenerative Sciences, Inc. They are hoping to train other doctors so that other states may also have clinics. The president of the company, Matthew Fulton, said that the New York Mets have shown particular interest in stem cell research for rotator-cuff injuries, which is ongoing at Colorado State University. This same University has one of the best veterinarian programs in the nation. I will bet my bottom dollar that there is a lot of stem cell research going on with animals there, especially the equine variety. In the meantime, this Colorado company is a first for the U.S. and it is treating more than athletes. I spoke to a very nice nurse there and they are getting people from all over the world with various orthopedic problems.
 
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cassandra

New member
Embryonic stem cell research has delivered no promising results, has a high risk of rejection by the patient, and the possibilities for further research look bleak.

On the other hand, adult stem cell research has already been successful in bone marrow transplants, heart transplants, of Crohn?s disease, thalassemia, and a rare skin disease. And?despite the fact that basic research with adult stem cells is in its earliest beginnings and is in no way being promoted with urgency�,there have been a growing number of reports lately of experiments with animals, from which it emerges that adult stem cells can successfully transform themselves into differentiated cells of organs of many kinds.
 
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hlichten

Super Moderator
barbara said:
If anyone missed my original post about the company in Colorado who is treating orthopedic patients with stem cells, the name of it is Regenerative Sciences, Inc. They are hoping to train other doctors so that other states may also have clinics. The president of the company, Matthew Fulton, said that the New York Mets have shown particular interest in stem cell research for rotator-cuff injuries, which is ongoing at Colorado State University. This same University has one of the best veterinarian programs in the nation. I will bet my bottom dollar that there is a lot of stem cell research going on with animals there, especially the equine variety. In the meantime, this Colorado company is a first for the U.S. and it is treating more than athletes. I spoke to a very nice nurse there and they are getting people from all over the world with various orthopedic problems.
Click to expand...
Yes, according to several sources I have spoken to now, orthopedics and orthopedics alone is the "way around" FDA approval for stem cell treatments in the USA. You can legally get marrow-based stem cell treatment for an orthopedic condition in the USA right now, without having to be part of a clinical trial.

And...if you also happen to have cardiac disease, COPD, etc. which could also benefit from the treatment, so much the better.

The "catch" right now, is that the injection for a bad knee is typically going to be into the knee itself.
 
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