scholarly journals THE USE OF STEM CELLS IN THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT PROCEDURES: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hennie Oosthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Healing Process ◽  
Therapeutic Cloning ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Therapeutic Treatment ◽  
The Law ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment ◽  
Treatment Procedures

The use of stem cells in therapeutic treatment procedures involves both legal and ethical aspects. The law and medical ethics walk hand-in-hand in this regard. The tremendous progress and advances in biomedical research, as well as developments in new treatment procedures, are contributing to more and more successes in the healing process. A consequence of these new biomedical techniques and treatments is that the law, and especially legislative requirements, cannot keep up with such techniques and treatments. At this stage there is no legislation in force in South Africa to regulate the use of stem cells in the therapeutic treatment of patients. The South African Parliament promulgated the National Health Act 61 of 2003 a few years ago, but, as at the time of writing, the sections dealing with stem cells are still not in force. These sections permit the therapeutic cloning of human stem cells and,if it eventually comes into force, it will allow the therapeutic cloning of human stem cells for use to the benefit of patients, and will also assist practitioners. The legal and ethical aspects regarding the usage of stem cells in the therapeutic treatment of patients and not for research on stem cells, form the basis of this article. The discussion will include aspects such as stem cells and where they are derived from, patients’ rights to choose to make use of stem-cell therapy, informed consent for stem cell treatment, the recognition of novel treatment procedures, the practitioner’s scope of practice as well as legislative control to indicate the need for such control. 

THERAPEUTIC CLONING – CAN WE ALL AGREE?

Think ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (32) ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
David Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer ◽  
Nuclear Transfer ◽  
Therapeutic Cloning ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment

There is ongoing debate about whether it is ethically acceptable to allow the creation of cloned embryos in order to produce human stem cells. A cloned embryo is created through a process called somatic-cell nuclear transfer, often known as ‘therapeutic’ cloning. The value of stem cells lies in their capacity to become any sort of cell in the human body. This capacity is particularly useful for treating medical conditions where stem cells can be used to repair or replace damaged tissue. The value of a cloned embryo is that the DNA from a person who needs stem cell treatment can be used to create the clone and thereby minimise the likelihood that any inserted stem cells will be rejected. Research on the use of cloned stem cells is in its earliest stage.

Patentability of inventions involving human stem cells in Europe

10.5912/jcb6 ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Bouvet
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Regenerative Medicine ◽  
European Patent ◽  
Patent Office ◽  
Human Stem Cell ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
European Group

In the last two years, research into stem cells has raised extraordinary therapeutic hopes – such as regenerative medicine – but also strong ethical questions. These questions have been fuelled by announcements, from private companies in particular, of the possibilities for human cloning. One of these questions relates to the patentability of inventions resulting from this area of research. In Europe this question is linked to the general debate surrounding the patentability of biological materials, such as genomic sequences. Although a large number of applications have been filed these last years, a few patents have already been issued. Some of them have been opposed at the European Patent Office. At the request of the European Commission, the European Group on Ethics (EGE) has prepared an opinion on ethical aspects of patenting inventions resulting from human stem cell research.

scholarly journals Preclinical efficacy of stem cell therapy for skin flap: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Li ◽  
Qi-lin Jiang ◽  
Leanne Van der Merwe ◽  
Dong-hao Lou ◽  
Cai Lin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Skin Flap ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Skin Flaps ◽  
Cell Based Therapy ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment

Abstract Background A skin flap is one of the most critical surgical techniques for the restoration of cutaneous defects. However, the distal necrosis of the skin flap severely restricts the clinical application of flap surgery. As there is no consensus on the treatment methods to prevent distal necrosis of skin flaps, more effective and feasible interventions to prevent skin flaps from necrosis are urgently needed. Stem therapy as a potential method to improve the survival rate of skin flaps is receiving increasing attention. Methods This review followed the recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statements. Twenty studies with 500 animals were included by searching Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases, up until October 8, 2020. Moreover, the references of the included articles were searched manually to obtain other studies. All analyses were conducted using Review Manager V.5.3 software. Results Meta-analysis of all 20 studies demonstrated stem cell treatment has significant effects on reducing necrosis of skin flap compared with the control group (SMD: 3.20, 95% CI 2.47 to 3.93). Besides, subgroup analysis showed differences in the efficacy of stem cells in improving the survival rate of skin flaps in areas of skin flap, cell type, transplant types, and method of administration of stem cells. The meta-analysis also showed that stem cell treatment had a significant effect on increasing blood vessel density (SMD: 2.96, 95% CI 2.21 to 3.72) and increasing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, SMD: 4.34, 95% CI 2.48 to 6.1). Conclusions The preclinical evidence of our systematic review indicate that stem cell-based therapy is effective for promoting early angiogenesis by up regulating VEGF and ultimately improving the survival rate of skin flap. In summary, small area skin flap, the administration method of intra-arterial injection, ASCs and MSCs, and xenogenic stem cells from humans showed more effective for the survival of animal skin flaps. In general, stem cell-based therapy may be a promising method to prevent skin flap necrosis.

scholarly journals Telomere length set point regulation in human pluripotent stem cells critically depends on the shelterin protein TPP1

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (23) ◽  
pp. 2583-2596
Author(s):  
John M. Boyle ◽  
Kelsey M. Hennick ◽  
Samuel G. Regalado ◽  
Jacob M. Vogan ◽  
Xiaozhu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Hypomorphic Allele ◽  
Point Control ◽  
Set Point Control ◽  
Stem Cell Lines

To better understand telomere length set point control in human stem cells, we generated knockout stem cell lines for TPP1 and contrasted their phenotypes with those of homozygous TPP1 L104A mutant stem cells. This comparison reveals that TPP1 L104A is not a hypomorphic allele but formally establishes TPP1 L104 as a dissociation of function mutant.

Research and Findings

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 76-79
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Drug Dosage ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
New Materials ◽  
East Asians ◽  
Lower Drug

Australian Scientists Reach Breakthrough in Stem Cell Research. Breakthrough in Disease Management of Chikungunya Fever by Singapore Researchers. MicroRNAs Lead to Formation or Suppression of Tumors? Singapore and US Scientists Share Results. Singapore and South Korea to Invent More New Materials. Asian Blood Cancer Patients Respond Better with a Lower Drug Dosage. Safer Ethical Way to Make Human Stem Cells. "Blushing" Response from Alcohol Drinking Signals Increased Cancer Risk Among East Asians.

scholarly journals Translational Research in Stem Cell Treatment of Neuromuscular Diseases

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Orbay ◽  
Hiroshi Mizuno
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Neuromuscular Diseases ◽  
Pharmacological Treatments ◽  
Precursor Cell Line ◽  
Donor Cells ◽  
Significant Disability ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment

Neuromuscular diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases that lead to significant disability in effected individuals. Pharmacological treatments failed to provide any significant improvement to date. Recently, the introduction of stem cells into the field of health sciences raised the hopes for a new treatment for neuromuscular diseases. In theory, stem cells, owing to their multilineage differentiation capacity, could differentiate into myofibers and neurons and replace the degenerated cells leading to recovery of the patients. Results obtained from the preclinical studies supported this theory. However, clinical trials with stem cells could not meet the expectations mainly because of early mortality, limited migration, and differentiation of the implanted cells. Modification of the stem cells before implantation, such as introduction of deficient genes or commitment to a precursor cell line provided little improvement. The biggest barrier to overcome for a successful of stem cell treatment, which also should be the focus of the future studies, is to increase the functional integration of the donor cells with the recipient tissues. Understanding the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the neuromuscular diseases is essential to achieve this goal.

scholarly journals Neonatal derived mesenchymal stem cell mesotherapy in androgenetic alopecia: a retrospective observational study and review of literature

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leelavathy Budamakuntla ◽  
Eswari Loganathan ◽  
Shwetha Suryanarayana ◽  
Aparna Dongre
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Dermal Papilla ◽  
External Source ◽  
Androgenetic Alopecia ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Androgenetic alopecia has been a stressful condition for the patients and treating dermatologists alike. With the advent of stem cell therapy in various diseases, and lot of controversies and ethical issues related to it, mesenchymal stem cells MSC have passed the acid test successfully, though with many challenges. Since the stem cells in the hair follicle bulge and the dermal papilla play an important role in hair cycle and growth, introducing an external source of neonatal mesenchymal stem cells seems to be a possibility in the treatment of AGA. Aims: To know the benefits and safety of stem cell treatment in patients who underwent mesotherapy with neonatal MSC in order to establish the safety and efficacy in the treatment of AGA.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> We collected data of 40 patients treated with mesoinjections of commercially prepared neonatal MSC, with AGA of grade 2 to 7. Before and after photographs, Patient (PtGA) and Physician (PGA) Global assessment scores were used to evaluate the treatment response.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> We found that 70% of the patients showed a mild response and 25% of them showed a moderate improvement in the hair growth and reduction in hair loss after 4 sittings of monthly duration. One subject showed an improvement of 72%. Patients had 6 month follow up. No major adverse events were observed.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Since this is an observational study, large randomized controlled studies, with longer follow ups is recommended to make MSC therapy a novel treatment option for AGA. </p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Mesenchymal stem cells, Mesotherapy, Androgenetic alopecia

BMAC-HARVEST: Innovational Method in Osteoarticular Pathology Using Autogenous Stem Cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 280-285
Author(s):  
Sólyom Árpád ◽  
Király Ildikó ◽  
Benedek Csaba ◽  
Nagy Ors ◽  
Solyom Reka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Iliac Crest ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Analog Scale ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Imaging Point ◽  
Stem Cell Treatment

Introduction: BMAC-Harvest is an innovational method regarding autogenous stem cell treatments in various fields of medicine. In osteoarticular pathology it is used for treating chronic pathology cases as well as acute and traumatic ones. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to represent the clinical and imaging results of the patients presented to the Ist Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic of Targu Mures. The results were obtained in the period 2012-2014 after using BMAC-Harvest autologous stem cells. Material and method: For this study the authors have included 28 patients from the Ist Orthopaedic and Traumatology Clinic of Targu Mures, suffering from different musculoskeletal pathologies. The method used on these patients was a surgical treatment, which consisted of injecting BMAC-Harvest autogenous stem cells in a unique dosage. The procedure was conducted in the operating room in sterile conditions. These cells were extracted from the iliac crest after appropriate preparation and general anesthezia. Patients were evaluated from a clinical and imaging point of view at periods of 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. In the evaluation the following aspects were monitorized in the form of questionnaires: level of satisfaction, mobility and the daily activities of patients. The pain intensity of the patients was measured by using the VAS scale (visual analog scale). For imaging representations the authors used standard radiography and IRM in 2 occurrences and have taken into account every sign which appeared after the treatment.Results: The satisfaction level of the patients was significantly increased after the 12th month evaluation compared to results after 3rd month. The pain got considerably reduced and most of the patients could resume their activity from before the treatment. 4 patients have reported mild and medium pain 12 months after the treatment. Conclusion: Autogenous stem cell treatment is an innovational technique with satisfying results for short and medium periods. The BMAC-Harvest autogenous stem cells can be used with clear indications in locomotor organ pathology and it can help in the recuperation of the patient after a trauma. The BMAC-Harvest autogenous stem cells increase the formation of callus after a fracture or pseudoarthrosis. This is an innovational procedure and it can be used successfully in osteoarticular pathology both chronic and acute.

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