- Stem cells: on the edge of scandal
- Capabilities
- Dangers
Dangerous than adult stem cells
When the scientists were able to isolate adult stem cells, it was called a real breakthrough in medicine. This discovery provided an alternative to embryonic stem cells, and removes many of the associated ethical issues. Press again exploded the news about the new "fountain of youth" and "cure-all", but optimistic in this case was excessive. None of the drug is not without side effects, and adult stem cells - not the exception?
Who distributes not completely correct information about adult stem cells
As a rule, these are people for whom these same cells can be a source of considerable income. Indeed, if I can use them for the rejuvenation and treatment of dangerous diseases, owners of advanced clinics succeed fabulously rich. However, conscious and responsible scientists and doctors in no hurry to make a very optimistic conclusions on adult stem cells. All materials, which they describe as a source of eternal youth, is hardly relevant to science; representatives of the latter are well aware that things are not so rosy and unambiguously.
What can be dangerous adult stem cells
Adult stem cells do have great potential for the treatment of many diseases, but they can not be considered completely safe.
One of the most common misconception is that adult stem cells do not lead to tumor formation. Indeed, implantation of cells into the body of any type associated with a more or less significant risk of tumors and other side effects. The risk is higher, the more cells are transplanted to a patient. Also, stem cells from specific tissue of an organism is safer pluripotent stem cells. For example, mesenchymal stem cells are much less likely to cause side effects than embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells.
In addition to cancer, stem cell transplant may cause serious infection, or autoimmune response - in both cases may be very serious consequences, including the death of the patient. Before deciding on the stem cell therapy, the patient must understand the risks involved, and in any case not to believe those who say that such treatment can be completely safe.
Using stem cells for the detection of dangerous side effects of drugs
Scientists hope that they will be able to use human tissue created from stem cells for the detection of potentially dangerous side effects of new drugs before they can be tested for others.
It is very difficult (and expensive) disappointment for pharmaceutical companies: to find out at the very end, who have a promising drug during trials in humans have been identified side effects, which in the course of experiments on animals, scientists did not even know. In such cases, the scientists have to start development of the drug from the beginning, and sometimes even have to close the program on the development of medicines, which has already spent many millions of dollars. To guard against such failures, some pharmaceutical companies, for example, Roche Holding, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, hoping that they will be used for testing human tissue derived from stem cells. While these experiments were not part of the standard program to create and study medicine, but some progress is already there.
Scientists working in the laboratories of Roche, created using stem cells from cardiac tissue for testing the antiviral drug tests which were halted two years ago because it caused heart disorders in rodents and rabbits. In tests on lab-grown heart muscle tissue revealed the same dangerous side effects.
This experience is very important because it showed that human tissue grown from stem cells may not respond to medications as well as normal tissue of the body, so side effects can be identified at an early stage of research. For the industry, in which the creation of new drugs can cost up to four billion dollars and test one drug in mice stands about three million dollars, which means saving enormous amounts - and of course of time.