Stem Cell Research Facilities Hope To Eventually Save Numerous Lives

By Henry Robinson


Mankind has never been satisfied with accepting the status quo. From the beginning of time, man has endeavored to improve his lot and to make things easier for himself. It is only natural that great efforts have been made over the ages to conquer deadly diseases and in the process major successes have been accomplished. Diseases that killed millions of people are now treated routinely and successfully. At stem cell research facilities scientists hope to achieve the next major breakthrough.

Patients have been receiving bone marrow transplants for a number of years. Up to now, however, only patients suffering from leukemia and certain other blood related diseases are considered to be eligible and then only as a very last resort. The blood cells of these patients are destroyed by chemo therapy and surgeons hope to encourage the growth of new and healthy cells through bone marrow transplants.

Bone marrow transplants hold much promise, but they are definitely not a cure for cancer. Researchers hope that this will change. They are working on ways that will eventually result in marrow transplants actually curing many types of cancer and other serious diseases. These studies are slow and tedious, however, and progress is very slow. Researchers admit that a major breakthrough in the battle against cancer is still some time off.

Many researchers in this field focus on the use of bone marrow transplants to repair damage done to the brain due to injuries and destructive diseases such as Alzheimer and dementia. The idea is that the transplant will cause the growth of new brain cells that will replace the damaged ones. In this way, even extensive damage to the brain and the spinal cord will eventually be repaired.

Heart disease is still one of the three biggest killer diseases in the world. Researchers are working at ways in which to replace damaged heart cells with healthy ones which will grow there after a bone marrow transplant. This is exciting news because the ability to cure many different types of heart disease will benefit millions of people. Research in this area is still in its infancy, however.

Scientists in this field are under constant attack from their critics. They say that these transplants are, in fact, extremely dangerous and that the prognosis of the patient is very poor. There is no clinical evidence that bone marrow transplants actually make a difference. The transplanted cells are often harvested from unborn babies and this says the critics, opens the doors to serious abuse and an unthinkable ethical dilemma.

Critics are adamant that researchers have not made any progress at all. They attract massive funding by extolling the numerous benefits that their research will eventually offer to mankind. Critics say that these benefits, if they can ever be realized at all, are many years in the future. The hype and publicity surrounding this type of research only serve to create false hope and unrealistic expectations.

Nobody knows what marvels the future holds. However, if bone marrow transplants can one day be used to create healthy living cells to replace damaged and destroyed cells, it would be a true medical miracle indeed. Unfortunately, one will have to wait and see.




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