Stem Cell Cure Claims for Cerebral Palsy and Down's Syndrome? Definitely NOT StemLife

There were a few statements made by the Malaysian Minister of Health reported in Malaysia's local newspaper "the Star" today. I'm writing this entry for StemLife clients, staff, shareholders and supporters who may be wondering if it relates to our work.

The Health Minister was quoted saying that there are those who claim that stem cells can cure diseases such as cerebral palsy and Down's syndrome, and a doctor who charged RM 25,000 for a stem cell treatment for these two conditions*.

Firstly, I'd like to put on record that StemLife has never claimed that stem cells can cure either of these conditions and that the doctor who administered the "treatment" worth RM25,000 is NOT in any way associated with StemLife.

Secondly, I'd like to address a few points that the article failed to mention (perfectly understandable as the journalist was reporting statements, not providing any analysis). The assumption that people only invest in something when there is a guarantee is largely incorrect, especially when it comes to one's health. One thing that can be certain is that in the medical profession, there is never a guarantee for a cure for any disease, whether the procedure concerns stem cells or not.

Further, the article and statements address the false hopes about what stem cells can do but fails to mention anything about the areas where stem cells have been used successfully in medical applications in Malaysia. This does not provide the Malaysian public with a pragmatic assessment of what facilities and procedures are available or possible in the appropriate medical context.

Thirdly, cord blood stem cell banking has been available in Malaysia over the last five and a half years -both privately and publicly- and the cost of storing stem cells has been declining, while the number of applications has increased significantly since it was first used in 1987. Therefore if one can afford the storage costs, then it is an option that can be considered.

Finally, in all fairness, no one should think of stem cells as a miracle cure for anything and everything. In all of human history, there has yet to be such a thing.

In case this topic is new to you, I'm including a few links below that I hope you will find useful. More stories can be found on this blog- try using the search box on the top left of this page or let me know if you have a particular question (we will refer to the medical specialists). We can't guarantee that we'll have an answer, but we'll be happy to share any information that we have on stem cells or its current applications.


Cord Blood Transplants from the National Marrow Donor Program, USA

Cord Blood Transplant Case as reported on CNN

Cord Blood Stem Cells as a Source for Adult Cancer Patients from the American Cancer Society

Cord Blood Registry (CBR)- one of USA's Largest and Oldest Cord Blood Stem Cell Banks Application Publication (click on the thumbnail on the right)

Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant for Immune Diseases (from the British Medical Journal)

Statistics of Autologous Cord Blood Storage and Use by Dr. Frances Verter and Dr. Nietfeld (note that this is a .ppt file)


* I found this article published which might be one of the organizations that the Minister might be referring to.