UK stem cell stroke trial passes first safety test - Polidicks

[quote] The world's first clinical trial of brain stem cells to treat strokes is set to move to its next phase. An independent assessment of the first three patients to have had stem cells injected into their brain at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital has concluded it has had no adverse effect. The assessment paves the way for the therapy to be tested on more patients to find a new treatment for stroke. The hope is that the stem cells will help to repair damaged brain tissue. The trial is being led by Prof Keith Muir of Glasgow University. He told BBC News that he was pleased with the results so far. "We need to be assured of safety before we can progress to trying to test the effects of this therapy. Because this is the first time this type of cell therapy has been used in humans, it's vitally important that we determine that it's safe to proceed - so at the present time we have the clearance to proceed to the next higher dose of cells." An elderly man was the first person in the world to receive this treatment last year. Since then it has been tried out on two more patients. Global trials The patients have received very low doses of stem cells in trials designed to test the safety of the procedure. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote So far so good. It is still at a very early stage but we draw great comfort from these results” Michael Hunt Reneuron Group Over the next year, up to nine more patients will be given progressively higher doses - again primarily to assess safety - but doctors will also be using this clinical trial to assess the best ways of measuring the effectiveness of the treatment in subsequent larger trials, which would not begin for at least 18 months. Critics object as brain cells from a foetus were originally used to create the cell treatment. Michael Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of the company that produced the stem cells, Renuron, said that the technology used to grow the cells is such that no further foetal tissue will be required. There are a growing number of well-regulated clinical trials of stem cell treatments now under way in various parts of the world, including one which also began last year by the US firm Geron to develop a treatment for paralysis. The development of stem cell treatments is still at an early stage and it is likely to be many years before these treatments become widely available. According to Mr Hunt: "The earliest a treatment could be widely available if everything goes very well is five years. It is very much a case of so far, so good. It is still at a very early stage but we draw great comfort from these results." Strokes kill about 67,000 people in the UK every year, according to the Stroke Association. The charity says it is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales after heart disease and cancer. [/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14731682[/url] FUCK YES SCIENCE

Shit, I didn't know stem cells could do this! This is so fucking revolutionary it's awesome.

I don't get why some people are so against stem cell research when it's so revolutionary in medical science.

I swear to science if some über-religous nut gets a huge crowd and start protesting against this.

[QUOTE=Desaster56;32059149]I don't get why some people are so against stem cell research when it's so revolutionary in medical science.[/QUOTE] 'Cause it "kills babies".

[QUOTE=booster;32059169]I swear to science if some über-religous nut gets a huge crowd and start protesting against this.[/QUOTE] It's the UK, stuff like that rarely happens here.

[QUOTE=booster;32059169]I swear to science if some über-religous nut gets a huge crowd and start protesting against this.[/QUOTE] Its okay, pretty much everyone in the UK is sane and for stem cell research.

[QUOTE=Jsm;32059895]Its okay, pretty much everyone in the UK is [B]sane[/B] and for stem cell research.[/QUOTE] Well, not exactly sane, but the ones that are are for it, yeah.

[QUOTE=Atlascore;32060213]The only people against it are hardcore conservative Christians in America.[/QUOTE] There are some here who are against them, but they are the kind of people that we keep chained in our attics and don't talk about in decent company. :v:

FINALLY human testing!!!!

My grandmother had a stroke and she has not been the same since. The memories are there, as are painting skills, but everything else is so fucked up. I hope this gets developed fast enough to bring some functionality back to her, and give her some months of mental health before she dies.

[QUOTE=booster;32059169]I swear to science if some über-religous nut gets a huge crowd and start protesting against this.[/QUOTE] Why do people insult me? :suicide:

I wonder if you give this to someone without brain damage. Simply put, would it make someone smarter?

[QUOTE=Master Kief-117;32070712]I wonder if you give this to someone without brain damage. Simply put, would it make someone smarter?[/QUOTE] I know almost nothing about this stuff, but I'd assume no. If I recall our brain already has natural stem cells, ready to repair or make new brain cells, pathways, "memories" etc. So I don't think even more would make us "smarter". More brains cells does not equal a better IQ. Again, if I'm recalling correctly, the stroke damages it beyond natural repair, but with injecting stem cells it gives it the extra boost it can't do naturally.

[QUOTE=Desaster56;32059149]I don't get why some people are so against stem cell research when it's so revolutionary in medical science.[/QUOTE] Most people with half a braincell(hurr) have realised that stem cells are the future of medicine and stopped opposing it. It's not like we only get them from dead fetuses anymore either, scientists have found loads of other methods of getting stem cells.

[QUOTE=Master Kief-117;32070712]I wonder if you give this to someone without brain damage. Simply put, would it make someone smarter?[/QUOTE] Stem cells don't contain knowledge, they are a cell which can become other cells. They are just putting it in areas of peoples brains where they suffered a stroke in hope of repairing the neurons.

[QUOTE=Karmah;32075919]Stem cells don't contain knowledge, they are a cell which can become other cells. [/QUOTE] Yes [QUOTE=Karmah;32075919] They are just putting it in areas of peoples brains where they suffered a stroke in hope of repairing the neurons. [/QUOTE] No