The Factual Beliefs And Moral Concerns Related To The Human Embryo
The philosophical question of when human life begins was described as decisive for the opinion regarding for what purposes human embryos should be allowed to be used. It was deemed impossible for a society to reach a consensus on when life starts. There were different perceptions of the moral status of the embryo. The embryo was described as being a mere lump of cells with the same value as any other cells. During the interviews, participants also likened the embryo to organs and germ cells. Some described the embryo as having no life. Thus, no life is terminated, and no one is hurt when embryos perish. Embryos were also described in terms of what they do not constitute specifically, it was not seen as a child or a human being. One person described that the embryo has no life, as it lacks sensation. However, it was also looked upon as something special and as having a potential life. The human embryo was also seen as a resource, which is constantly produced in abundance. While some were firm in their perceptions, others were ambivalent and, at times, described the embryo inconsistently. Some explained that they would have had a different view of the embryo if it had been inside the womb or if it were older.
The embryo was ascribed no certain value and was not seen as something special by some participants.
Moreover, some considered the embryo in terms of the equal value of all human beings, including embryos at a certain age of development.
What Causes Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain. This loss of nerve cells within the brain results in a reduced amount of dopamine being created which acts as a messenger between the parts of your brain that control voluntary and involuntary movement. Therefore without that vital connection, your brain starts losing the ability to effectively control movement. Currently, it is unknown what causes the deterioration of nerve cells associated with Parkinson’s Disease . Currently, it is believed that both environmental factors, as well as genetic factors, may play a role in the loss of nerve cells.
Parkinson’s Disease is a lifelong condition that can greatly impair the ability of one’s daily functions. Traditional treatments only address the symptoms of the condition, but researchers are excited about the possibilities of certain gene therapies and stem cell therapy, which may have the ability to reverse damage and halt the progression of the disease.
Legal And Ethical Questions
Stem cell research and treatment is a matter of considerable debate and many people are opposed on ethical grounds, although others believe that the benefits of such research far outweigh ethical concerns. There is strict regulation in all European Union Member States and many other countries to ensure that research is carried out legally and ethically.
Opposition to research using cells from an embryo tends to arise due to:
- the belief that embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of the earliest developing cells and some regard this as destroying a human life
- concern about the creation of embryos with the intention of destroying them once certain cells have been extracted
- objections to any kind of genetic research, which is perceived as undermining human dignity and interfering with nature.
Fortunately new techniques are being developed which will enable researchers to extract embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo. But this will no doubt remain an area of controversy and personal opinion for some time.
The improvements achieved in the field of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells is likely to make them the stem cell type of choice in the future, although iPS clinical trials are probably further away than trials using embyronic stem cell therapies.
Content last reviewed: May 2018
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Why Is Stem Cells Treatment Better Than Conventional Treatment Approach For Treating Parkinsons
Conventional treatment approaches highly invasive associated with many side effects. Although stem cells can naturally heal the body from damage and regenerate lost neurons to improve impaired functions. Additionally, since the bodys own cells are used for repairing, the entire treatment is minimally invasive without any side effects.
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How Your Support Made This Research Project Possible
Parkinson Canada plays a unique role in the Canadian research landscape because it bridges research and caring for people with the disease, Cardoso says.Being associated with a foundation that does such a great job at caring for people with Parkinsons and with research is great, he says.
His project complements Parkinson Canadas philosophy because it marries fundamental research with a promising application, he believes.
Neurodegenerative diseases take a terrible toll on peoples lives and on the healthcare system, he points out.
Its important that we help fund and find new therapies, if not to cure Parkinsons disease, to provide therapies that provide a better life for those people and less stress to their families., he says.
If we want new therapies and new benefits, its important to fund the agencies that we think are doing a good job and helping good projects.
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Embracing The Power Of Gratitude
Most of us have heard about the power of gratitude. According to research, expressing a sense of gratitude can contribute to stronger relationships and heightened levels of happiness. And those who regularly express it are more likely to be optimistic about life than those who dont.
While many of us practice gratitude by giving thanks, it actually is anemotion, and its recognition and expression can foster a greater sense of positivity.
What Are Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Stem cells are the body’s raw materials â cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are created. Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells that have self-renewal, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, signaling, and differentiation properties. Mesenchymal stem cells , self renewal capacity is characterized by their ability to divide and develop into multiple specialized cell types present in a specific tissue or organ.
Mesenchymal stem cells can be sourced from a variety of tissue including adipose tissue , bone marrow, umbilical cord tissue, blood, liver, dental pulp, and skin.
MSCs are widely used in the treatment of various diseases due to their self-renewable, differentiation, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. In-vitro and in-vivo studies have supported the understanding mechanisms, safety, and efficacy of MSC therapy in clinical applications.
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What Are The Current Treatments For Parkinsons Disease
Drug therapy is the primary way that doctors manage the symptoms of Parkinsons disease. While these medications can help control the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease, many patients experience the onset of side effects including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, lightheadedness and low blood pressure, confusion, fatigue, involuntary movements, changes in behaviors, and difficulty urinating. Parkinsons drugs also become less effective over time and require higher doses. As a result, not all individuals can tolerate these conventional treatments and others see an incomplete response.
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How Can Stem Cells Help Heal This Condition
So, how do Parkinsons disease and stem cells relate? In a nutshell, Parkinsons disease is a degenerative condition. That means the body slowly loses ability over time in direct correlation with the nerve cells it loses. Stem cells constitute one of the viable treatments for Parkinsons disease in that they can replace those cells.
According to recent studies, transplanted cells in studies about stem cells and Parkinsons disease have shown the ability to do the following:
- survive in the brain long after transplantation
- function in similar ways to cells in much younger individuals
- produce long-term links such as that in normal, healthy brains
- grow new axons that send messages throughout the brain effectively, meaning that patients who receive the treatment can function much more normally
With these new treatments, physicians may soon have the power to restore motor function to Parkinsons sufferers, reversing the effects of the disease and eventually curing the disease completely, resulting in a normal brain with the ability to form lasting connections, memories, and thoughts.
Stem cells have another possible use as well: Researchers can use them to create effective models of the brain on which to test new drugs or therapies that may also help reduce or reverse the effects of Parkinsons disease. As with other uses of stem cells, this research is still in its early stages as well.
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The Use Of Hesc Raises Moral Concerns
The moral status of the human embryo is a long-standing controversy thoroughly debated over the years. The ambiguity surrounding the status of the embryo has led to controversies without reaching a consensus . Whether, and to what extent, the human embryo has a moral value that deserves protection or not, is repeatedly discussed alongside the medical development . As more is learned about cells and their potential through medical research, the perceptions concerning the embryo, and the question of when human life begins, have been challenged. During the last few decades, this issue has become even more relevant as medical advances have shown that the embryo in the pre-implantation phase could potentially be used to produce medicinal products, to benefit patients and increase their health.
Human embryos are generated in regular medical practices for reproductive purposes for IVF procedures. Since the first successful IVF procedure, approximately 8 million IVF children have been born at any given time point, it is estimated that more than 500,000 embryos are being kept frozen awaiting IVF procedures. After successful IVF procedures, embryos no longer considered for reproductive purposes are kept frozen in storage. The frozen embryos are considered for medical research or are destined for destruction .
Stem Cells For Parkinson’s Disease Are Safe And Effective
According the Venkataraman and colleagues, “A subjective improvement was found in symptoms like facial expression, gait, and freezing episodes 2 patients have significantly reduced the dosages of PD medicine. These results indicate that our protocol seems to be safe, and no serious adverse events occurred after stem-cell transplantation in PD patients.”
As stated in a 2005 study held by Brian Snyder,
Stem cells offer the potential to provide a virtually unlimited supply of optimized dopaminergic neurons that can provide enhanced benefits in comparison to fetal mesencephalic transplants. Stem cells have now been shown to be capable of differentiating into dopamine neurons that provide benefits following transplantation in animal models of Parkinson’s disease.
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Pd As A Candidate For Stem Cell Therapy
Neurodegeneration broadly involves the progressive loss of neurons in the nervous system. Recent evidence show that neurons begin losing their normal functions and morphologies even before neuronal death, suggesting that simply preventing these neurons from dying is unlikely to be an effective therapeutic approach . As such, unless there are therapeutic strategies that preserve the structure and function of neurons, cell transplantation still appears to be the most effective approach. However, without a deep understanding of the biology of the diseases and pathological mechanisms, cell replacement therapy is still very much an empirical trial-and-error approach. For instance, cell transplantation is likely to be more successful for PD than for a neurodegegenrative disease that simultaneously affects multiple regions in the brain. In PD, dopaminergic neurons in a specific anatomical region, known as the substantia nigra pars compacta , are lost. Along the nigrostriatal pathway, SNpc dopaminergic neurons innervate the dorsal striatum where they release the neurotransmitter dopamine. Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc is one of the main pathological feature in PD, and is responsible for the symptomatic motor deficits of PD.
What Is Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are special because theyre undifferentiated, meaning they have the potential to become many types of specialized cells.
You might think of stem cells as natural resources for your body. When your body needs a specific type of cell from bone cells to brain cells an undifferentiated stem cell can transform to fit the need.
There are three main types of stem cells:
- Embryonic stem cells: These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can transform into the many types of cells found in your body. As the name suggests, theyre found in embryos.
- Somatic stem cells: Also called adult stem cells, these mostly perform repair functions. They can still transform, but not into as many types of specialized cells as embryonic stem cells can.
- Induced pluripotent stem cells : These stem cells are made by genetically changing cells that have already matured.
Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells usually from a donor, but sometimes from your own body to treat a disorder.
Because Parkinsons disease leads to the death of brain cells, researchers are trying to use stem cells to replace brain cells in the affected areas. This could help treat the symptoms of Parkinsons disease.
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Results Of Swiss Medica Patients
Carlo G., patient from Italy :
I was at all the best clinics, but none of them gave me the results like the ones I got after only 3 days in Swiss Medica clinic.
Franchesco, patient from Italy:
I can talk faster, write, walk in the mountains, wash by myself and play football with my grandchildren.
Patient from Denmark, 10 years with Parkinsons disease:
Each tiny thing matters. His illness started with a little finger trembling and progressed to complete inability to perform daily activities. Now he feels that the progression of the disease has stopped. He can hold a glass and drink, lift his legs, clap his hands and touch his head with his arm.
Is It Safe Safety Of Commercial Stem Cell Clinic Work
Safety data is also limited, although there have been some publicized lawsuits claiming that these treatments resulted in harm. Stem cell researchers in general question whether cells harvested in such a way contain sufficient amounts of adult-derived stem cells to be meaningful. It is also unclear how this type of procedure would target the stem cells to the correct location. If stem cells are introduced in the nose for example, it is unclear how they would find their way to the basal ganglia and make the correct connection in order to help a person with Parkinsons disease.
In order for the medical community to accept this type of treatment as safe and beneficial, it would need to be shown to work in a placebo-controlled clinical trial for which participants do not pay, are aware of the known risks and benefits, and are carefully monitored throughout the trial. In addition, the trial would need to track adverse events, as well as record and share the outcomes of trial participants as they compare to the group of patients receiving a placebo treatment. So far this has not happened. The FDA is in fact studying mesenchymal stem cells in the laboratory in order to determine the best way to use them to help people, but these studies have not yet led to approved treatments. Most recently, the FDA filed federal complaints against two clinics that are marketing stem cell products without regulatory approval.
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Get Stem Cell Therapy For Parkinson’s Disease
1.1. Treatment of Parkinsons Disease is now possible through Stem Cell Therapy, and many patients have been cured through the treatment of Global Stem Cell Care.
2. Globally, around 10 million have Parkinsons Disease. The maximum of people who are suffering from this condition is over 60 years of age.
It has been analyzed that men are more affected than women.
3. Global Stem Cell Care provides the best stem cell treatment for Parkinsons Disease, and it is highly effective in this condition as opposed to other methods of treatment.
Through stem cell treatment, the cells help to increase the dopamine levels.
4. The stem cells that are used in the treatment of Parkinsons Disease are embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells .
From Cell Replacement To Circuits
A key requirement for cell-replacement therapy to work is that engrafted neurons connect to resident neuronal networks, thereby reconstructing damaged circuits or establishing alternative circuitries that can compensate for the functional deficits elicited by neurodegeneration.
Studies in rodents using allografted fetal VM demonstrate synapse formation from host to graft and from graft to host,. Novel technologies have made the assessment of synaptic integration of hPSC-derived neurons more accessible. For example, retrograde tracing based on modified rabies virus has allowed monosynaptic connections of afferent neurons to and from the graft to be mapped in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of PD, and revealed that the host circuitry, specifically nuclei of the intact mesDA system, formed appropriate synaptic contacts with grafted hPSC-derived neurons,. Using the same experimental design, another study demonstrated that grafted neurons also formed synaptic contacts with host circuitry, namely with surrounding striatal medium spiny neurons and neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex that are normally targeted by A10 DA neurons. These studies demonstrate that synaptic integration between host and transplanted neurons is a dynamic process, starting as early as 6 weeks after transplantation and maintained for at least 6 months, that occurs between reconstructed physiologically relevant circuits.
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Stem Cell Transplantation For Ms And Cancer
Doctors have long used stem cells to treat certain types of cancer and, in recent years, certain immune-related diseases, such as multiple sclerosis . This type of treatment is not a result of the stem cell research that gained momentum around the turn of the millennium, but originates from research into bone marrow transplantation in the 1960s and 1970s.
The technique involves removing the immune cells in the body that cause the disease, and then building up a new immune system by transplanting stem cells extracted from the patients own bone marrow.