Just phreakin' phenomenal

SixofNine

Do you think they'll feature this in "watching the world"?

Patients Given Own Stem Cells Escape Transplant
Mon September 1, 2003 11:07 AM ET
By Ben Hirschler

VIENNA (Reuters) - Four out of a group of five seriously sick Brazilian heart-failure patients no longer needed a heart transplant after being treated with their own stem cells, the doctor in charge of the research said Monday.

Such "regenerative medicine," in which stem cells extracted from patients' own bone marrow are used to rebuild tissue, may one day become commonplace for patients with damaged or diseased hearts, some doctors believe.

Hans Fernando Rocha Dohmann of the Pro-Cardiaco Hospital in Rio de Janeiro said his four patients had such a marked improvement in blood supply after stem cell treatment that they were removed from the list of those needing a heart transplant.

"This finding has a significant social relevance since there isn't a single heart transplant program anywhere in the world which is able to treat all the patients who need it," he told reporters at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

The whole area of stem cell research is highly controversial because the most promising of such cells are taken from embryos, usually obtained from fertility clinics. Embryonic stem cells are capable of turning into nearly 200 different tissue types.

Still, doctors believe the field has huge potential.

"This is the first approach where you have an opportunity to actually heal a heart," said Dr Michael Rosen of Columbia University, New York. "It's going to be a very long road, but it is the most exciting thing I've seen in my 40 years as a doctor in this field."

EXPERIMENTAL THERAPY

The four critically ill patients were among a larger group of 14 who Dohmann and colleagues from the Texas Health Science Center in Houston had in April reported showing improved heart function.

Their treatment involved taking cells from bone marrow and injecting them into the heart's left ventricle, the main pumping chamber. Heart failure is the inability of damaged heart muscle to pump enough blood around the body.

Dohmann's patients belong to a small but growing number of patients being tested with the experimental therapy in centers around the world.

Doctors at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., earlier this year treated a 16-year-old shot in the heart with a nail gun and researchers said some 10-15 similar clinical trials could be under way around the world.

The exact mechanism of action is not understood but medics believe stem cells harvested from bone marrow or blood may be able to form new muscle and blood vessels. Alternatively, they may trigger a chemical reaction that improves the functioning of cells in the locality of the injection.

So far, all the clinical work involves so-called "autologous" cell transplants, in which cells are used from the patient's own body.

Using foreign stem cells is another matter and is unlikely to happen for another 10 years, said Professor Juergen Hescheler of the University of Cologne.

Rosen and his team are working on a technique to use cell therapy to deliver genes to the heart that would improve its electrical pulse, effectively creating a biological pacemaker to replace today's mechanical ones.

Email this Article

|

Print this Article

|

Purchase for Reprint

Euphemism

Wow, great news!

I could be wrong, I think that the WT only objects to using embryonic stem cells. I don't think they'd have a problem with these, since they come from bone marrow. But I'm not 100% sure.

Swan

Euphemism wrote:

I could be wrong, I think that the WT only objects to using embryonic stem cells.

Actually, many other religious groups are against this research and treatment. That is unfortunate. Science could be on the verge of giving us medicine that could extend our lives for several years if not decades. Great news indeed!

Tammy

SixofNine

Actually, I believe the bone marrow origin should be a problem for them, although I may be wrong.

In my estimation, the society will probably stay out of the embryonic stem cell debate, as they've made such a mess of medical advice so far, and they know it, along with the fact that the positive derivitaves from the embryonic stem cells will be a few steps removed fromt the origins, and so easier just to not deal with. Also, the positives will likely benefit really old people. Like say, the GB of JW's.

My first comment was really more sarcasm directed at the Awake for it's love of negative news, and JW's in general, for their inablility to rejoice at wonderful, life enhancing news.

Euphemism

6o9... there was an Awake on stem cells not to long ago, with the auspicious title: "Stem Cells: Has Science Gone Too Far?" It says of embryonic stem cells: "The Bible helps us with this complex issue by revealing God's view of the unborn... Hence, we can conclude that to the Creator all human life is sacred, including that of the unborn." (g02 11/22 10)

For cells derived from marrow, it refers the reader to w84 5/15 31, which states: "Marrow used in human marrow transplants is from live donors, and the withdrawn marrow may have some blood with it. Hence, the Christian would have to resolve for himself whether—to him—the bone-marrow graft would amount to simple flesh or would be unbled tissue."

So apparently, the WTS forbids the use of embryonic stem cells, but marrow-derived cells are a conscience matter.

SixofNine

That does it! I'm cancelling my subscription.

They are nothing if not consistant, er...sort of, lol.

Euphemism

LOL Hey, if the GB die because they won't take stem cell treatments, I'm sure that many here wouldn't cry...

frenchbabyface

swan : Great news indeed!

Perry

I remember when bone marrow was a huge no, no. Maybe that has changed now..I dunno. A few years ago, my mom had open heart surgery. It was like a scene out of a horror movie watching her fill out a list of blood derivitives and checking off which one's she'd take. When I asked her why she refused a certain one she told me because an elder told her that AIDS lived in that certain component. My father told me with an austere look that he'd refuse all of them if it was him. Piously looking like Stonewall Jackson in a self-righteousness contest.... I had no doubt that he really would.

Now what if my mom had died (she came very close), and later that same elder changed his mind and told someone else it was ok to take that certain blood component? This has undoubtedly happened to others.

Elders are the lowest of the JW scum for misleading others all the while knowing that their advice is subject to change when the whims of geriatric change start to blow from the Tower. I swear I will never know how on earth elders can shut their brains off and sleep at night.

Just phreakin' phenomenal

Share this