There is so much news across the world about what can be achieved with stem cell treatments, my local paper carried this story today ;
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wa...-27092077/
I know my feelings are that we should be at least doing more trials in this country and that if I was offered it as a healing solution for myself I would grab it with both hands...... would you?

i think i most deffinatly would! theyre working toward a one day cure for euans condition and that uses stem cells, theyre trialling it in america at the minute i think its just about to or has moved onto monkeys, it worked quite well in rats, its not a complete cure but goes a loooong way towards repairing the damage that has been done to the cells in the body and therefor prolonging life. I'm not sure how id feel about risking him in a trial....i wouldnt while he was young i think he would have to make that decision himself (if he was able to) as i know stem cell therapy does carry its own risks.

BUT i totally agree that they should be doing more toward research in these countries, many people go abroad and risk their own lives or sometimes are just completely ripped off.

However im not sure how close we are to that happening as theres alot of debate about the ethics involved.

xx

Hi

I know there is a huge ethical debate about the use of certain types of stem cells such as umbilical and embryonic but stem cells can also be taken from adult bone marrow (which is more time consuming), the idea that these cells have the ability to grow into almost any type of cell is mind boggling and the medical possibilities are endless. Yes we definitely need to be pouring money into research and without getting into a debate I can think of one or two things our government could stop spending our money on to free up money to put into this research.

I think there should be more facilities in the UK or at least Europe so as to avoid some of the rip offs but if we believe the world press then stem cell procedures can cure and repair damage and deformity whether it's from a genetic condition, strokes, even rebuilding bone and tissue after extreme trauma from accindents etc....... It would just be good to have the choices.
I agree about Children in trials Lucy, it's a decision they have to make or at least be invloved in as much as possible.

My sons illness is amungst a group of illnessess that are all quite similar in that they all effect the immune system but all different in the parts of the immune system they affect and how severe etc.
Some of the illnessess are curable via stem cell treatment(i know of one child going through it at the moment), however we have been told that it will be more than 20 years before they can do it in what my son has.
They have tried numerous times various ways over the past few years in rats/mice etc but unfortunatley their have been none rodents that has survived.
We go to an annual meeting about what they have tried that year and what they are going to try so this information is from last novembers meeting.