What is stem-cell treatment?
Stem-cell treatment is any treatment that targets or uses stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition, such as Multiple Sclerosis (Msaustralia.org.au). It is used when a chronically diseased patient's own body is not tolerable enough to restore functional tissues. Stem-cell treatment can also be used to prevent disturbance and damage and it helps to improve and rebuild cells that have been damaged (A4m.com). Transplanting stem cells or giving drugs that target stem cells found in the body are two ways in which stem-cell treatment works.
Advantages and disadvantages of stem-cell treatment:
The advantages of stem-cell treatment are:
The disadvantages of stem-cell treatment are:
Stem-cell treatment is any treatment that targets or uses stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition, such as Multiple Sclerosis (Msaustralia.org.au). It is used when a chronically diseased patient's own body is not tolerable enough to restore functional tissues. Stem-cell treatment can also be used to prevent disturbance and damage and it helps to improve and rebuild cells that have been damaged (A4m.com). Transplanting stem cells or giving drugs that target stem cells found in the body are two ways in which stem-cell treatment works.
Advantages and disadvantages of stem-cell treatment:
The advantages of stem-cell treatment are:
- Decreases pain and suffering so that patients, including people with MS, don't have to live in constant discomfort. It works more efficiently than alternative methods of therapy (massages, acupuncture etc.)
- Researchers and scientists can understand more about human development and the growth of human cells and so are able to make advancements in technologies and treatment (Explorable.com)
- Improves health care for future generations
- Millions of people have been benefited so far
- It can be used on a wide range of diseases and conditions
- In the future it could help to eradicate serious diseases (OccupyTheory)
The disadvantages of stem-cell treatment are:
- The long term side effects are still unknown
- There is no exact proof showing that stem-cell therapy cures diseases
- It is very expensive, especially when compared to the costs of general treatment (medications) and alternative therapies (massages, acupuncture, oil treatments etc.). Some people believe the large cost is not worth the benefits and the money could be spent on something else (OccupyTheory)
- There could be population issues in the future - what will the world's population be like if people are no longer passing away at a normal rate? (Stemcells.nih.gov)
- People believe that you should not mess with human life as it could lead to issues in the future (Healthguidance.org)
- Chemotherapy is used in stem-cell treatment, although a much smaller amount is used now than it once was.