Is Stem Cell Treatment for Brain Injury Ready for Primetime?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - Stem Cell Guru
In an online article entitled 'Parents see success in stem cell treatment' Cape Cod Online (USA) report on the journey to China undertaken by the family of a severely brain-damaged 15 year old.
The parents of a teen say the results from their son's recent stem cell transplant in China have been subtle so far, but they are encouraged. ''He's definitely more attentive, and his eyes are open more,'' said Robert Raylove of his 15-year-old son, Jonathan. ''Is that the stem cells? What else could it be?''
Mother and son returned in the beginning of May from a seven-week trip to China, during which the teen received treatment at one of the few hospitals in the world doing stem cell therapy on brain-injured patients.
Doctors at Nanshan Hospital in Shenzhen, China, gave Jonathan five injections of 10 million umbilical cord stem cells each into his spinal column to try to trigger a healing process in his damaged brain cells. He has a condition known as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HE, from a near-drowning in the family pool 11 years ago. As a result, he is unable to walk, talk or see anything beyond shadows.
The Rayloves' hope is that by injecting stem cells directly into their son's spinal cord, his damaged brain cells will send out the chemical message needed to prompt the newly transplanted cells to replicate as brain cells. A procedure which isn't allowed in U.S.
Dr. Leonard Zon, a Harvard Stem Cell Institute researcher and director of the stem cell program at Boston Children's Hospital, said it is hard to say whether the small improvements are due to the treatment he received in China. He said stem cell therapy for brain trauma has not been done in animal models to the satisfaction of researchers. Therefore, no human trials have even begun in that area, he said.
This is obviously a great dilemma that families in the postition of the Rayloves must face. Do they head abroad for treatment, often against the recommendations of their doctor & specialists or do they take a chance and hope that experimental therapies will result in an improvement in the quality of life. What would you do?
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1 Comments:
I THINK IT WAS A GREAT TREATMENT THAT CAN HELP ALL THE PATIENT TO FIND THEIR OWN HAPPINESS.
IN ADDITION, THE PATIENTS FAMILIES + THE RELATIVES WILL BE VERY HAPPY WHEN THEY CAN SEE THEIR OWN CHILD OR COUSIN WALK. HOWEVER, THE TREATMENT REALLY CAN HELP TO CHANGE ONE'S LIFE.
IT ALSO CAN HELP THOSE PATIENT LIVE IN THIS WORLD WITH HAPPINESS BEFORE THEY LEAVE THIS WORLD.
I'M VERY PROUD THAT THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY REALLY CAN CHANGE ONE'S LIFE.UNFORTUNATELY, THE TREATMENT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO EVERYONE'S EYE. ONLY ALL THE RICH PERSON CAN AFFORD IT BUT NOT TO THE POOR.
TO CONCLUDE,I HOPE THAT THE MIRACLE WILL APPEAR AFTER THE TREATMENT. I WILL ALWAYS PRAY FOR THEM WHO ARE GOING TO DO THE STEM CELL TREATMENT.
TO ALL READER, PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM AND HOPE THAT THEY CAN RECOVER THEIR SICKNESS AND BECOME A PERFECT PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. WE MUST APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY BODY. & REMEMBER PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM......
GOOD LUCK TO THEM, AND ONE OF MY COUSIN WILL DO THAT KIND OF TREATMENT IN SHEN ZHEN, CHINA IN THE END OF NOVEMBER.PLS PRAY FOR THEM.......
LOVE
BIG SISTER
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