11 replies to this topic

[sentenced4life]

I've been researching and reading up on stem cell treatment and its possibilities with people who have spinal injuries. Though the research is at its infancy with most being carried out on rats, but i wouldn't mind be a human guinea pig to try and see if it would make a difference to the movement in my legs and bladdder function, plus my injury is only a few months old.

There is only so much a physiotherapy can do, and i think i need stem cell treatment just to reconnect nerve endings so that i can achieve more from the physiotherapy. Seriously my body needs something, and i think its stem cell treatment.

From the information I have is that the question of morality lies in the harvesting of stem cells, and it is not licensed in the UK.

Anyone want to share their views on stem cell research or treatment

[JustME]

I believe that stem cell research will be a major breakthrough in helping many people with sci, or other incurable diseases. However, as you said there are some legal and moral issues with stem cell.

Matter of fact here in the USA, our president just vetoed a bill legalizing and supporting stem cell research because he is against abortion and therefore cannot be for stem cell. This royally ticked me and a lot of other people off but what can we do... Wait until the next president I hope.

Also, I have heard that they are finding that they can get the stem cells from the umbilical cords making it alot less "bad" to harvest the stem cells.

Just thought I would give you a little info on the stem cell issue here in the USA, I'm no expert in this by far, but have just went on research and things that my boyfriend and others have told me... hopefully, one day soon we will begin to hear of the amazing success and miracle stories that stem cells can provide.

[hotwhlz]

Stem cells can also be obtained from sources other than embryos. They are called "adult stem cells." Their use is relatively free of ethical conflicts. Both the pro-life and pro-choice movements favor further research on stem cells from these sources.

Researchers began using adult stem cells from bone marrow back in 1960. It was only in 1998 that other researchers were able to isolate and cultivate embryo stem cells. 12 Adult stem cell research thus has an almost four decade head start compared to embryo-derived stem cells. As of 2004-Fall, promising trials are underway using adult stem cells, while stem cells from embryos are still being experimented upon in the laboratory.

[percepied]

Unfortunately there are currently no clinical trials being conducted in the US researching the impact of stem cells, adult or embryonic, on "chronic" SCI. There is an attempt to start a clinical trial in the US sometime next year researching the impact of embryonic stem cell injections on "acute" SCI in humans.

Personally, I believe stem cells will be effective in reducing the impact of SCI in the acute stage but will not by themselves, be effective in chronic SCI where glial scarring, spinal fluid viscosity, lack of proper growth hormones, the possibility of tumorous growth, etc all conspire against a "cure". Even the research on rats using stem cells has shown only marginal success.

This is not to say stem cell research won't prove useful, simply that what the media reports about such research is hardly credible.

[jass1]

google this name you will find more info

Dr. Carlos Lima

[Lucky]

How long do you think the waiting list would be?

There are people who have already been selected for trails in Asia. How-ever they've only chose complete patients (asia A?) as any return of functions will be easier to notice.

If you'd like to know more or ask questions with others even an SCI "doctor" about stem cell research & a possible "cure", heres a link to a very popular forum. Click on the "cure" tab.

Hope no-one minds.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/index.php

[elisabeth]

Just don't go to that guy in China who charges $20,000 US per treatment. He is dodgy as all hell.

[giorgos]

i don t know if u know this but there is a doctor here in greece who belongs to Dr lima's grpoup and he makes stem cells surgery.. he takes adult stem cell from the nose and then putt it in sci..
only 3 persons made this surgery till now and the doc told them that they are going to have results after one and a half year.. this surgery costs about 30.000 euros. and it takes 10 days at the hospital. i am just waiting for results and maybe try this one.. but only if i see results in other guys.

[Adrian]

While all this Stem Cell treatment is good news I view it with a large dose of caution. Stem cell treatment does show huge potential in the future, more so for other afflictions, but as of now it's very early days for SCI people in my opinion. From what I've read, and it's not a huge amount to be honest, they just inject the cells into the area of the paralysis and that's it - it's just seems a hap-hazard and very non scientific approach.

From my limited knowledge of anatomy, the spinal nerves are a single nerve cell that reaches from the brain to the spinal junction(for the reflex arc). In spinal injuries it the axons of the nerve fibers that are damaged and these are long and very fine structures. If it's just the myelin sheath thats damaged then that's a not too hard problem, but the problems occur when the spinal cord has had a major trauma where a large section of the nerve axons have been destroyed, as in my case, it's a totally different, and much harder, case.

I don't mean to put a downer on the conversation but just to add some realism.

[elisabeth]

Giorgos, I would recommend against doing the procedure. These people are parasites feeding on the vulnerability that comes along with spinal cord injury. Trust me, if anyone had a cure for spinal cord injury or anything close to which they would have a Nobel prize.

[ryan Kruse]

Heck, I'd be happy with the full use of my hands and arms. The hell with walking again! Sure I wouldn't mind doing so but realistically after so many years of not baring weight on my legs, muscle apathy and low blood pressure walking would be dangerous. With full use of your arms and hands I could dress, go to and get up from bed when I WANT to. I would also enjoy being able to grab an ass or two again. ;-)

Unfortunately we are 10 years off in the U.S. because of politics and the rest of the world will leave us in the dust with this amazing science. Plus, no money in a cure. Pharmaceutical and medical companies will go belly up if all things that affect our neurological system were able to be a thing of the past. Ignorant Politicians, Special Interest Groups and the Medical Industry do not want us to be cured.

[milosh]

if there is cure for SCI, all that big and filthy medical industry will lose shit loads of its profit.

the only who could benefit from cure are newly injured or kids.

hey guys... i've told a million times ''if there is cure, larry flint would be walking''.