Stem Cells: A closer look at paralysis and a potential treatment option

This was an interesting (and very personal) article 'Adult Stem Cell "Failure"- A closer look' comes from the viewpoint of a paralyzed journalist who advocates stem cell research and therapy. Essentially, this article relates to the right to treatment and support of medical progress through non-ethical sources of stem cells.

The photo of Hwang Woo Suk is actually not relevant to the article but highlights the current controversy that's happening in Korea over the use of stem cells. A female patient Hwang Mi-Sun who was paralyzed in an accident years ago underwent two umbilical cord blood stem cell injections and regained sensation in her lower abdomen and legs for a short period of time. However, it has been reported that she has relapsed and now experiences pain and no longer has the sensation or movement she had before. Was it right to offer her this experimental treatment? Or would she have been better off without it?

Critics have proposed that experimental trials such as these should be tightly regulated or perhaps disallowed altogether, even if they do not involve the more controversial embryonic stem cells. But, this may have also been a case of a non-compliant patient who did not seek the correct follow up treatments for her infection which escalated and may have contributed to her return to paralysis.

It would be a pity if patients -who were willing to undergo an experimental therapy- were to be denied by those who do not understand what they would sacrifice for any albeit small improvement of their condition. No doubt much more needs to be known to make stem cell therapy succesful but this understanding will only be derived with the help and support of patients-in-need and motivate this new science forward.

As promised in my previous posting, have a read and watch the video if you can, about Michelle Farrar's treatment of stem cells for her paralysis. The article does not state how long she is expected to experience sensation for nor what extent of recovery, but it sounds like she is savouring every second of it.

The author chose a strong and very poignant quote about the traditional medical community, the drug and health insurance industries, basic research industry and the hospital industry, and bureaucracy who have a reason to withhold support for stem cell therapy:

"How nice it would be," says Carson, regarding those who wish to keep the medical status quo, "if stem cell progress would just go away. Then business could continue as usual. Everyone but the victims would be happy."

A visit to hospital wards will easily show how much more support of stem cell regenerative technology is needed, preferably with plenty of success, before we end up there ourselves.