There are many medical conditions that used to be a certain death sentence but that can now be treated or managed. Conditions such as certain types of cancer, HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension and many others are now routinely cured or kept under control. Massive investments is made to develop new medicines and to investigate the potential of new technologies in the medical field. Stem cell therapy, specifically, and its many potential benefits has particularly excited scientists and the public alike.
This treatment method, also known as bone marrow transplants, is not new. However, for the past 30 years treatment has been limited to transplants for patients suffering from blood related cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia. Chemotherapy, which is common for such patients kills everything, both the healthy and the diseased. Bone marrow transplants can help them grow new, healthy cells and strengthen their immune systems that were adversely affected by chemotherapy.
Bone marrow transplants have proved to be very valuable in treating certain types of cancer, but researchers are positive that this treatment method will become commonplace in the treatment of a very wide variety of medical conditions. It is an extremely complicated science however, and there are potential dangers that need to be addressed and new techniques that must be developed before this technology can be used on human patients.
One potential use for this treatment method that truly excites the medical community is the treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease that cause the brain to degenerate. It is foreseen that it will also be possible to treat patients with severe spinal injuries and brain damage. It is even hoped that the effects of strokes and other types of seizures will become reversible.
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.
This technology and ongoing research in this field has many critics. They say that it is far too early to make any claims regarding the potential of bone marrow transplants and that much more research is needed. They claim that even current applications of the technology has not been researched thoroughly and that it is just to dangerous because there are far too many unknown factors involved.
Critics also point out that donor material is not only harvested from bone marrow. It is also obtained from the blood in the umbilical cords of unborn babies. This, say the critics, opens the doors for abuse and unethical practices. They also accuse practitioners in this field of making false promises to patients simply because they know that many patients will pay the exorbitant cost of these procedures out of desperation.
Most experts agree that there is much work to be done. They insist, however, that eventually bone marrow transplants will prove to be a massive breakthrough in the treatment of conditions that can currently not be managed. One can only hope that they will be proved right.
This treatment method, also known as bone marrow transplants, is not new. However, for the past 30 years treatment has been limited to transplants for patients suffering from blood related cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia. Chemotherapy, which is common for such patients kills everything, both the healthy and the diseased. Bone marrow transplants can help them grow new, healthy cells and strengthen their immune systems that were adversely affected by chemotherapy.
Bone marrow transplants have proved to be very valuable in treating certain types of cancer, but researchers are positive that this treatment method will become commonplace in the treatment of a very wide variety of medical conditions. It is an extremely complicated science however, and there are potential dangers that need to be addressed and new techniques that must be developed before this technology can be used on human patients.
One potential use for this treatment method that truly excites the medical community is the treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease that cause the brain to degenerate. It is foreseen that it will also be possible to treat patients with severe spinal injuries and brain damage. It is even hoped that the effects of strokes and other types of seizures will become reversible.
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.
This technology and ongoing research in this field has many critics. They say that it is far too early to make any claims regarding the potential of bone marrow transplants and that much more research is needed. They claim that even current applications of the technology has not been researched thoroughly and that it is just to dangerous because there are far too many unknown factors involved.
Critics also point out that donor material is not only harvested from bone marrow. It is also obtained from the blood in the umbilical cords of unborn babies. This, say the critics, opens the doors for abuse and unethical practices. They also accuse practitioners in this field of making false promises to patients simply because they know that many patients will pay the exorbitant cost of these procedures out of desperation.
Most experts agree that there is much work to be done. They insist, however, that eventually bone marrow transplants will prove to be a massive breakthrough in the treatment of conditions that can currently not be managed. One can only hope that they will be proved right.
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