NEWSFLASH: UMBILICAL CORD STEM CELL BAN MAY BE LIFTED
Since Prof. Colin visited us in April this year and shared with us the difficulty of convincing medical experts that cord blood stem cells provide a real alternative to bone marrow and are able to produce various cell lineages, I was most delighted to see that Irish Authorities are finally acknowledging that cord blood stem cells are useful and can be banked for their citizen's use (see previous entry on Cavan General Hospital).
Ireland has pretty high incidences of cancer, inline with the rest of the world, although the treatment of it may be restricted due to the available medical facilities and services offered to the patients. Ireland has one of the worst cancer survival incidences in Europe.
If you're wondering if cord blood stem cells really can be used in cancer treatment in adults, have a look at this article citing one of the world's most famous transplanters, Prof. Mary Laughlin who is the haematologist and oncologist at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and University Hospitals of Cleveland Ireland Cancer Center.
Just in case the article is taken offline, the article is below:
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By Fiachra O'Cionnaith
Friday July 18 2008
Official policy banning the retrieval of cord blood stem cells at Dublin's three main maternity hospitals could be set to come to an end under new Department of Health plans.
Since August 2005, official policy at the Rotunda, the Coombe and the National Maternity Hospital has meant that requests from new mothers for medics to retrieve stem cells from the umbilical cord have fallen on deaf ears.
But after confirmation from the Department of Health that it has met with international experts over the possibility of creating a public cord blood stem cell bank for medical and research purposes, the official policy ban may now be overruled.
Since the cord blood stem cell retrieval technology became a reality, a wide-ranging international debate has raged over the use of stem cells obtained in this way.
Those in favour of the medical technique say that cord blood stem cells significantly improve the chances of using the stem cells in question to help treat future medical conditions in the newborn baby or their relatives.
Ethical
But opponents have countered by pointing to ethical concerns over the use of cord blood stem cells and have added that there is not yet enough long-term research to support the claims made about the technique.
As a result of the increased profile of the cord blood stem cell retrieval -- which has been used in over 10,000 births, mainly in the US -- a rising number of Irish mothers have asked for the procedure when giving birth.
Until recently, they have been told the matter was against hospital policy at Dublin's three maternity hospitals, with a formal policy clarification signed by the Masters of the Rotunda, the Coombe, and the National Maternity Hospital in August 2005 noting: "There is insufficient scientific research to support the procedure of taking cord blood for stem cell retrieval. The three maternity hospitals do not support requests to take core blood for stem cell retrieval."
However, speaking to the Herald today, the head of the Irish Patients Association Stephen McMahon said that the Department of Health is now considering plans to potentially bring the policy to an end.
The Department of Health has confirmed that after consulting international experts on the matter it is now considering establishing a public bank for the storage of cord blood stem cells for medicinal and research purposes.
It is continuing to hold meetings with "relevant" interest groups on the matter.
Last week the Department, the HSE, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and the Irish Medicines Board met with international expert Professor Colin McGuckin of the Institute of Human Genetics at the UK's Newcastle University to hear the benefits of freezing cord blood cells for future use.
The international expert said that the only major hurdle to the plans was the current financial restrictions in the health service.
- Fiachra O'Cionnaith
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Stem Cell Snake Oil? When a rotten apple spoils the whole barrel
There's no need to tell me that this blog site seems to be gathering a rather thick layer of dust since we last posted in April. It certainly isn't for the lack of interest but simply the lack of time and sleep!
Well, there's been lots happening in the stem cell world and if you've been keeping up with the news (and if you've been doing that, you definitely have had more time than I have) you'll have seen the many various promotions by new companies, the new technological adoptions and the wide-scale criticism of certain organizations who offer purported stem cell treatments without credible medical data or volunteer themselves for western methods of accreditation and inspection.
There has been most unfortunate reports the media, highlighting the cases of families being "conned" into stem cell treatments and spending hard-earned or hard-raised cash flying to exotic countries for injections. The media certainly portray these families as having no money and no idea as to what they are getting into and are therefore considered "victims" of scams.
It does seem to me that some of these criticisms of the various centers, while valid, give too much credit and sympathy to the patient. Patients who are willing to spend that amount of money should certainly conduct their own research first and opt to try something experimental, knowing that the outcome at best may be to return home safely after a vacation from their usual drudgery and hopefully no worse than what conventional drugs or palliative treatment can offer.
Some of these centers have claims of miraculous cures and patients who have shown remarkable improvements in their conditions. What I'm wondering is whether these centers have been invited to the table to present their work and explain why they think a particular treatment worked in some patients and not in others.
The stem cell world is still new and many issues surrounding the understanding of how stem cells migrate and assist in tissue regeneration have yet to be elucidated.
In any case, the jury is still out and therefore it all depends on whether you believe in "innocent until proven guilty" or "guilty until proven innocent". Criticism is always easier when you haven't got a sick child or a parent with an incurable disease. Desperation itself is a powerful motivating factor to try anything or to try nothing, and is the individual's or family's decision.
One of the biggest problems that a patient faces is access to information and doctors who are really willing to discuss the issues knowledgeably and openly. Doctors could also inform the patients that there are no guarantees in any medical treatment and in the cases of the currently "incurable", inform the parents of the basis of the disease and why stem cells may or may not be able to help.
A short list of questions that might be useful for potential patient to ask are:
1) Are these treatments performed in licensed hospitals?
2) Who are the doctors performing the treatments?
3) How are the stem cells applied?
4) What is the source of the stem cells?
5) Can I see your laboratory facility? (sterility controls, infectious disease etc)
6) Can my medical doctor speak with your medical director?
7) What is the track record of your patients? (success vs. failures, how many still alive?)
8) What other therapies/ treatments do I have to undergo?
9) Adequate back-up facilities for complications?
There are no right or wrong answers but its good to understand the main motives of the providing organization to know whether it is purely for profit and the injections may only be saline.
Well, there's been lots happening in the stem cell world and if you've been keeping up with the news (and if you've been doing that, you definitely have had more time than I have) you'll have seen the many various promotions by new companies, the new technological adoptions and the wide-scale criticism of certain organizations who offer purported stem cell treatments without credible medical data or volunteer themselves for western methods of accreditation and inspection.
There has been most unfortunate reports the media, highlighting the cases of families being "conned" into stem cell treatments and spending hard-earned or hard-raised cash flying to exotic countries for injections. The media certainly portray these families as having no money and no idea as to what they are getting into and are therefore considered "victims" of scams.
It does seem to me that some of these criticisms of the various centers, while valid, give too much credit and sympathy to the patient. Patients who are willing to spend that amount of money should certainly conduct their own research first and opt to try something experimental, knowing that the outcome at best may be to return home safely after a vacation from their usual drudgery and hopefully no worse than what conventional drugs or palliative treatment can offer.
Some of these centers have claims of miraculous cures and patients who have shown remarkable improvements in their conditions. What I'm wondering is whether these centers have been invited to the table to present their work and explain why they think a particular treatment worked in some patients and not in others.
The stem cell world is still new and many issues surrounding the understanding of how stem cells migrate and assist in tissue regeneration have yet to be elucidated.
In any case, the jury is still out and therefore it all depends on whether you believe in "innocent until proven guilty" or "guilty until proven innocent". Criticism is always easier when you haven't got a sick child or a parent with an incurable disease. Desperation itself is a powerful motivating factor to try anything or to try nothing, and is the individual's or family's decision.
One of the biggest problems that a patient faces is access to information and doctors who are really willing to discuss the issues knowledgeably and openly. Doctors could also inform the patients that there are no guarantees in any medical treatment and in the cases of the currently "incurable", inform the parents of the basis of the disease and why stem cells may or may not be able to help.
A short list of questions that might be useful for potential patient to ask are:
1) Are these treatments performed in licensed hospitals?
2) Who are the doctors performing the treatments?
3) How are the stem cells applied?
4) What is the source of the stem cells?
5) Can I see your laboratory facility? (sterility controls, infectious disease etc)
6) Can my medical doctor speak with your medical director?
7) What is the track record of your patients? (success vs. failures, how many still alive?)
8) What other therapies/ treatments do I have to undergo?
9) Adequate back-up facilities for complications?
There are no right or wrong answers but its good to understand the main motives of the providing organization to know whether it is purely for profit and the injections may only be saline.
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