At Stem Cell Treatment Centers Researchers Are Hoping For Big Breakthroughs

By Frances Moore


Over the past few decades truly major breakthroughs have been made in the medical field. Diseases that once caused the death of thousands are now considered as conquered. New medication, treatment methods and tools allow doctors to help many more people than they were able to just a few years ago. Even diseases that cannot be cured yet can at least be managed, thus prolonging the lives of the patient. Scientists at stem cell treatment centers think that they will make major breakthroughs soon.

Leukemia patients and others suffering from blood related cancer have received bone marrow transplants for some years. In most cases, however, it is done as a last resort. The idea is that the transplant will cause the growth of new bone marrow cells that will produce healthy cells after numerous cells were destroyed by chemo therapy which had an adverse effect upon the immune system.

Bone marrow transplants are by no means a cure for any type of cancer, at least not yet. At present it is nothing more than an effort to prolong the lives of very ill patients. Scientists believe that this will change, however. They think that bone marrow transplants will eventually be effective in curing many different types of cancer. But progress is very slow and no results are foreseen for at least a few years.

It is not only progress in the treatment of cancer that interests scientists in this field. They also believe that bone marrow transplants have the potential to cause the growth of new brain cells to replace the ones damaged or destroyed by brain injuries and brain related dread diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer. Progress in this direction will, without a doubt, be a major step in the history of medicine.

Using bone marrow transplants in order to cure many types of heart disease is also high on the agenda. Once again the hope is that these transplants will cause the growth of new cells inside the damaged heart to replace damaged and destroyed ones. Heart disease is still one of the biggest killers all over the world and progress in this direction will benefit millions of patients.

There is a lot of controversy shrouding bone marrow transplants. Critics say that there are major ethical issues involved in the fact that the cells to be transplanted are harvested from unborn babies. This may open a door for the major abuse of life in order to ensure that adult patients receive the treatment that can save their lives. Critics also say that the procedure is dangerous.

Critics say that researchers in this field raise the hopes of patients with promises of rapid progress and imminent breakthroughs. This is simply not true. Any breakthrough in bone marrow transplant techniques are still many years in the future and researchers are simply using the hype to raise funds for even more research. This money could be used more productively in other fields, say critics.

It does not seem as if major benefits from bone marrow transplants will be enjoyed in the near future, but one can but hope that the promises made by researchers will bear fruit in the future. It will save numerous lives. One can but hope and, if so inclined, pray.




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