Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Why Stem Cell Treatment Centers May Be The Future Of Modern Medicine

By Patrick Mitchell


Advances in medical science sometimes seem to be so rapid that it is hard to keep track of the latest breakthroughs. New instruments, medication, procedures and tools are made available all the time. Many diseases that were seen as a certain death sentences can now be treated very successfully. With no slack in the pace of research, one can just wonder what the next miracle will be. One such field is bone marrow transplants. Stem cell treatment centers offers many patients hope for treatment.

Bone marrow transplants have been available for a number of years. Thus far, however, they were only considered for patients with certain types of cancer, especially leukaemia patients. These patients routinely receive chemo therapy and in the process very large numbers of blood cells are destroyed. Bone marrow transplants are used to encourage the growth of new, hopefully healthy cells. Very few transplants are done because they are deemed to be dangerous.

It is a common misconception that bone marrow transplants can cure cancer in certain types of patients. This is not true, but it is true that the transplants can add a few years to their life expectancy. Researchers are hopeful that this treatment method will indeed eventually be a cure, not just for some types of cancer but for many other diseases as well. Unfortunately, progress is slow because the research is expensive, time consuming and often even dangerous.

The main purpose of bone marrow transplants is to promote the growth of many specific types of cells in many parts of the body. This is not yet possible, but when it is, it can truly become a cure for many diseases, including many types of brain injuries. If damaged brain cells can be replaced, the patient will recover and lead a normal life. Alzheimer also, will no longer be a dread disease.

Another area that is targeted by research in bone marrow transplants is heart disease. Many types of heart disease involves damaged cells. Transplants can promote the growth of new cells to replace the damaged ones. Because heart disease is so rampant everywhere, a breakthrough in the use of bone marrow transplants to treat heart disease will certainly benefit millions of patients.

Unfortunately, the whole issue of bone marrow transplants is at the centre of controversy. Critics say that these transplants are dangerous. Moreover, they point out that it is common practice to use the blood taken from the umbilical cords of unborn babies to perform these transplants. This poses an enormous moral dilemma. Women may even decide to become pregnant for the sole purpose of making money from their unborn babies.

Opponents also accuse researchers in this field of creating expectations that are simply not realistic. They say that it is a known fact that any truly practical use for bone marrow transplants is still many years ago. Major breakthroughs simply will not happen within the next few decades. Critics say researchers create expectations simply for the purpose of obtaining more and more funding for their work.

Bone marrow transplants may well become one of the biggest medical breakthroughs ever. If this happens, many millions of lives will be saved and many types of disease will be conquered. It is important to remember, however, that the road ahead is still long and that a lot of work will have to be done before the research will bear fruit.




About the Author:



0 comments: