Stem cell research is one of those volatile areas where it seems that about half the population is for this research and half is opposed to it. For many of us living with Kennedy’s Disease, stem cell research is an area of interest that we would like to see explored more thoroughly because of the opportunities it might hold.It has been noted that one of the difficulties of using stem cells for motor neuron disease is the delivery vehicle. How do we implant healthy cells into the muscles? A question that also lingers is whether the healthy cells that are introduced will remain healthy, or will they become defective over time?
MDA’s Quest Magazine published an interesting article on the status of current gene and stem cell research in regards to neuromuscular diseases. Click on this link to read more on this subject: Moving Toward Next Generation Gene Therapy .
In my opinion, this appears to be an opportunity for advancing research on rare disorders.
RE: Stem cell research is one of those volatile areas where it seems that about half the population is for this research and half is opposed to it.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that the controversy is over embryonic vs. adult stem cells, not gene therapy in general. The articles in Quest stated they were using adult (aka induced pluripotent) stem cells.
My impression is that the adult stem cells are showing more promise for clinical application. But adult stem cells are difficult to make, whereas the embryonic stem cells are easier to create.