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A Canadian Television station decided to do some stem cell research of their own recently. CTV Calgary did a two part series-a comparison of 2 different stem cell treatments using Adult Stem Cells to treat Multiple Sclerosis.
Part 1- Stem Cell Treatment for MS in Canada
In part one of the stem cell series, they took a look at a Canadian clinical Adult Stem Cell research study led by Dr. Mark Freedman at Ottawa General Hospital in which they first use chemotherapy to destroy the Multiple Sclerosis' patient's immune system and then implant the patient's own stem cells to create a new immune system and hopefully destroy the Multiple Sclerosis in the process.
The TV show focused on MS patient Jennifer Molson who they show is seemingly cured of her MS as they show her playing street hockey with her kids. On the other side of the coin, they also show a patient, John McCleary who died in the clinical study from the effects of the chemotherapy (before the stem cells were implanted).
Part 2- Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis in China
In part two of the series, they focus on two patients who have gone to China to receive Adult Stem Cells, but this time in the form of cord blood stem cells- stem cells taken from the umbilical cord blood of new born babies. The stem cells are administered through an IV as well as implanted into the spinal cord. This treatment does not require chemotherapy.
The first patient they showed was Margo Oliver of Prince Edward Island:
two months after coming home, she was able to get out of her wheelchair for the first time in two years and to walk, albeit with assistance. Oliver believes if she could afford more treatments, she'd be able to walk unassisted.
"Everyone that can afford it should go and the sooner you go, the better."
Then they follow another patient, Lee Buckry to China and film his stem cell treatment. Before Buckry went to China, he did his stem cell research and spoke with Multiple Sclerosis patients who had been there before him:
"To a tee, everyone has said, 'Go'. Not one person has even come close to regretting it," he said, referring to patients he has chatted with after finding them online.
Buckry just received his Adult Stem Cells recently and has seen slight improvement although the doctors said it would take up to two months for the stem cells to take effect.
Hypocrite Alert
And what has to be the most hypocritical statement so far of 2009, Dr. Freedman, the one in charge of the stem cell
study in Ottawa takes a shot at his foreign counterparts in stem cell research.
Dr. Freedman is concerned that patients are forking over large amounts of money for unproven treatments like this, especially when there is no follow-up care or monitoring when they get home.
"It's dangerous in the wrong hands," he said. "The only reason these places could be in existence is to take people's money and offer them something that's unproven."
That is ridiculous. A doctor who is doing an unproven therapy himself (in which one person died in a small 18 person study), says that stem cell therapy somewhere else is dangerous and offering something that's unproven? Isn't that what you are doing Dr. Freedman? And I'm fairly certain you aren't doing the $4 million dollar study for free. This study is funded by the MS Scientific Research Foundation, I'm guessing this is a mixture of grants from the Canadian government (taxpayers) and donations.
Adult Stem Cell Research- which treatment is best?
Now, which stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis is better? Chemo and a patient's own stem cells or no chemo and cord blood stem cells? Which delivery method of the stem cells is best? Which type of Adult Stem Cells is better? A patient's own stem cells or cord blood stem cells? I don't know the answer to those questions. Probably nobody does at this point. But it is good to have this debate. At the very least, it is good in that it gives MS patients a couple of options.
Now, let's take it a step further, imagine if they had 30 more options, what if Adult Stem Cells (already proven safe in hundreds of clinical trials) were available in the United States and Canada? Multiple Sclerosis patients would have to pick and choose which hospital and therapy offered the best chance of success. Very quickly, the effective Adult stem cell treatments and doctors would be pinpointed by the market (the patients) and just like that, the ineffective stem cell treatment hospitals would fall by the wayside. Either they would lose money and close shop or as in any competition, they would strive to invent a better Adult Stem Cell therapy which is better for all of us. Another benefit would be hospitals would strive to compete on price, thus lowering the costs for each patient.
Look at Lee Buckry's comment that every single person he spoke with who had previously had the stem cell therapy in China said "GO" - as in go to China and get the stem cells. Something must be good about it since Beike Biotech, the company in China has been helping people since 2001.
What do you think? This should make a good debate and I look forward to your comments.
UPDATE: Betty Helm, another MS patient who went to China read this post and wanted to give her opinion-
I am one of the ones who have MS and went to China for Beike Biotech's stem cell therapy. I got my life back. It's the best decision I ever made in my life. You can see my progress during the therapy by going to Betty's MS Blog on www.stemcellschina.com.
As long as stem cells are governed by politics in this country, patients have no hope except to look elsewhere for treatment. I did and I have no regrets. I felt this issue would not be resolved in my lifetime and I don't have the patience to wait. It's a shame that people in this country - supposedly the best healthcare in the world - are left to suffer and die. All I can say -- there is hope -just not here.
Click here to see the
stem cell video by CTV Calgary and then weigh in on this in the comment section.