All aboard for the stem cell shuffle!
Wotcha! I've just been flicking through the Liverpool Echo, and saw this snippet of good news: . It's a follow-up story about Jan Wilkes, who went to a private clinic in Holland for stem cell treatment for MS. The treatment has alleviated her symptoms to an unexpected degree: she can walk and has no pain. However, the report also states that in order to have the treatment they nearly had to sell the family home, until her colleagues at the local supermarket stepped in to raise the money.
On a positive note, this story illustrates that Jan and her family didn't give up, and found a treatment that has helped her immensely. However, it also illustrates that if there is a treatment available abroad - in this case, Holland - then you have to pay for it from your own pocket. I can understand why people with, say, motor neurone disease would travel to Beijing in order to have stem cells injected directly into their brain to try to alleviate their condition (as shown in the 91Èȱ¬'s Horizon documentary series). However, I also feel that there a lot of people out there playing on the hopes of the desperate.
I know that stem cell therapy is an ethical hot potato, and that using cells from embryos is unpalatable to the majority of people. But there are scientists working on other methods, such as and - as in Jan Wilkes' case - cells from umbilical cords, that are palatable to both the populace and the medical ethicists.
Also, I can understand why UK medics are reluctant to advocate it, as they want to see if the treatment will last long-term and, more importantly, whether or not it's safe to give to patients. In essence, is right: we should be patient. We have to travel cautiously, but hopefully.
