The advances that have been made in the field of medicine over the past few decades are truly amazing. Diseases and complications that used to cause millions of deaths are now routinely treated. Organs are transplanted and it is even possible to perform surgery on unborn babies. The list goes on and on and at the same time research continues unabated. Bone marrow transplants are of particular interest to many and stem cell therapy centers say that they are working at a major breakthrough.
The concept of bone marrow transplant is not a recent one. These transplants have been performed for a long time. Until now, however, only those that suffer from leukemia and other blood related cancers qualified. The chemo therapy that these patients receive indiscriminately destroys all the healthy and diseased blood cells and with the transplants it is hoped that the growth of new and healthy blood cells will be encouraged. Sadly, the success rate is low.
It is a common misconception that bone marrow transplants are a cure for cancer. It is not. However, scientists believe that it eventually will become a cure. They think that these transplants will cure not only cancers related to the blood, but many other types too. Progress in this field is very slow do to the painstaking nature of the processes employed, unfortunately, and positive results are definitely still some years in the future.
Finding a cure for cancer by using bone marrow transplants is just one of the fields attracting the attention of researchers. They also think that these transplants will be able to stimulate the growth of new brain cells. If this can ever be done, the devastation caused by debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer can be reversed. Patients with brain and spine injuries will also benefit.
Heart disease is one of the major killers all over the world. Scientists reckon that bone marrow transplants will eventually be able to generate new cells inside the heart in order to replace damaged ones. Once this can be achieved, the devastating effects of damage to the heart will be reversed by means of a transplant. Research in this area is still very young, however and no results are expected for a long time.
All is not roses, however. There are many critics that are of the opinion that researchers in this area is on a path that can lead to no positive results. They confront researchers by challenging them to provide a shred of evidence that bone marrow transplants have benefited a single patient. It has not, they say and besides, these transplants are extremely risky. Bone marrow transplants are not the future of medicine, critics say.
Critics are particularly concerned about the fact that the cells used during these transplants are routinely harvested from the umbilical cords of unborn babies. This is a major ethical dilemma, they say. Not only is the life of the unborn baby endangered, but there is also the awful possibility that women will become pregnant for the sole purpose of selling the cells harvested.
Despite the controversy surrounding bone marrow transplants many people still remain excited about the possibilities that it offers. If only a fraction of the expectations of researchers come true, millions of lives will be saved. Unfortunately, it is still years before any such results will be possible.
The concept of bone marrow transplant is not a recent one. These transplants have been performed for a long time. Until now, however, only those that suffer from leukemia and other blood related cancers qualified. The chemo therapy that these patients receive indiscriminately destroys all the healthy and diseased blood cells and with the transplants it is hoped that the growth of new and healthy blood cells will be encouraged. Sadly, the success rate is low.
It is a common misconception that bone marrow transplants are a cure for cancer. It is not. However, scientists believe that it eventually will become a cure. They think that these transplants will cure not only cancers related to the blood, but many other types too. Progress in this field is very slow do to the painstaking nature of the processes employed, unfortunately, and positive results are definitely still some years in the future.
Finding a cure for cancer by using bone marrow transplants is just one of the fields attracting the attention of researchers. They also think that these transplants will be able to stimulate the growth of new brain cells. If this can ever be done, the devastation caused by debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer can be reversed. Patients with brain and spine injuries will also benefit.
Heart disease is one of the major killers all over the world. Scientists reckon that bone marrow transplants will eventually be able to generate new cells inside the heart in order to replace damaged ones. Once this can be achieved, the devastating effects of damage to the heart will be reversed by means of a transplant. Research in this area is still very young, however and no results are expected for a long time.
All is not roses, however. There are many critics that are of the opinion that researchers in this area is on a path that can lead to no positive results. They confront researchers by challenging them to provide a shred of evidence that bone marrow transplants have benefited a single patient. It has not, they say and besides, these transplants are extremely risky. Bone marrow transplants are not the future of medicine, critics say.
Critics are particularly concerned about the fact that the cells used during these transplants are routinely harvested from the umbilical cords of unborn babies. This is a major ethical dilemma, they say. Not only is the life of the unborn baby endangered, but there is also the awful possibility that women will become pregnant for the sole purpose of selling the cells harvested.
Despite the controversy surrounding bone marrow transplants many people still remain excited about the possibilities that it offers. If only a fraction of the expectations of researchers come true, millions of lives will be saved. Unfortunately, it is still years before any such results will be possible.
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