The main disadvantage with embryonic stem cells is the way that they are acquired. Since human embryos are destroyed during the process of harvesting embryonic cells, this makes the research unpopular with those that believe human life begins at conception and that this life is being destroyed.
“Globally, around 50,000 cases of cancer have been treated with stem cells from cord blood, but banking is not a feasible solution because the amount preserved is not enough for bone marrow transplants in adults,” says Dr Dharama Choudhary, bone-marrow transplant specialist at BLK Super Speciality Hospital.
Regarding treatment effectiveness, 36 centers provided data with the mean marketed clinical efficacy of 82.2 percent. Ten clinics claimed 90-100 percent efficacy, 15 claimed 80 to 90 percent efficacy, 10 claimed 70 to 80 percent efficacy and one claimed 55 percent of greater clinical efficacy.
Some opponents of stem cell research argue that it offends human dignity or harms or destroys human life. Proponents argue that easing suffering and disease promotes human dignity and happiness, and that destroying a blastocyst is not the same as taking a human life.
Stem cell therapy can cost anywhere between $8000 - $30,000 USD per treatment for expanded mesenchymal stem cells.
Researchers hope stem cells will one day be effective in the treatment of many medical conditions and diseases. But unproven stem cell treatments can be unsafe—so get all of the facts if you're considering any treatment. Stem cells have been called everything from cure-alls to miracle treatments.
Exosomes should be a simpler, safer, lower cost, more easily stored and transported, alternative to stem cells. Critically, exosomes are inherently less risky that live stem cell transplants.
Opponents argue that the research is unethical, because deriving the stem cells destroys the blastocyst, an unimplanted human embryo at the sixth to eighth day of development. As Bush declared when he vetoed last year's stem cell bill, the federal government should not support “the taking of innocent human life.”
Stem cells differentiate into many specialized cells and are therefore of interest in chronic conditions for which treatment is limited. However, human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research is unethical since it results in the destruction of human life for research purposes.
Share: Stem cell treatment for knee, back, shoulder, and joint pain can have varying results in terms of how long the pain relief lasts. Several studies using stem cells as a treatment for arthritis have shown lasting results anywhere from six months to several years.
People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis.
