09-06-10
Australians seeking new stem cell treatments will soon have more information to arm them, their families and doctors in making important decisions regarding their health.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today launched a new website ‘Take a Closer Look at Stem Cells’ (
www.closerlookatstemcells.org) which will assist patients around the world to assess the recent explosion of online claims regarding stem cell treatments.
There is an understandable impatience from many groups to see faster medical results from stem cell research. Worldwide, there is a proliferation of clinics directly marketing expensive stem cell therapies that are considered unproven by globally accepted clinical standards. In response the ASCC released its
Patient Information Handbook in 2009 to assist the growing number of Australians interested in accessing these therapies. Today’s announcement from the ISSCR will provide Australian’s with an additional and powerful resource to assist in evaluating the multitude of stem cell treatments offered online and elsewhere.
Australia has a well regulated health system and patients can be confident that when stem cell treatments are offered here they will be both safe and effective. However, not every country is so well regulated. The promise that stem cell based treatments hold for debilitating diseases and crippling injuries, that are often otherwise untreatable, has led to treatments being offered in some countries without proof of safety and efficacy by properly overseen trials and regulation of the treatments. These processes are time consuming and expensive, but are essential for patient safety and well being.
The statement released today by the ISSCR said that while stem cells hold a tremendous amount of promise there are currently only a small number of stem cell treatments that are medically proven. The majority of currently available stem cell treatments are those for blood related disorders such as bone marrow transplants for leukaemia. However, the ISSCR says it is concerned that stem cell treatments are being marketed to patients worldwide for a variety of medical conditions without having the appropriate safeguards in place to ensure safety for the patient or evidence that the treatment will be beneficial.
Visitors to the new website will be able to submit the details of a stem cell treatment provider they have seen advertised on the internet that they may be considering and wish to know more about. The ISSCR will ask for evidence that the clinic has appropriate oversight and other patient protections in place. The ISSCR will list whether or not stem cell clinics provide this information on the website and the information will be made available to future patients.
Clinical Advisor for the Australian Stem Cell Centre, Dr Kirsten Herbert commented “Stem cell therapy holds great promise and clinical trials are ongoing under controlled circumstances. Until the appropriate testing and regulation is in place for these international treatments, resources such as ‘A Closer Look at Stem Cells’ and the ASCC’s Patient Handbook will be invaluable in assisting patients, advocacy groups, and clinicians in evaluating claims of benefit from unproven stem cell therapies.”
For more information visit
www.closerlookatstemcells.org and to download the ASCC Patient Information Handbook please
click here. To read the ISSCR media release visit
www.isscr.org.
Download the full media release below.
Downloads
International Stem Cell Society to Provide Guidance on Unproven Stem Cell Treatments (190442)
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