Medical technology moves fast and it looks as though stem cells are set to be the next big thing when it comes to treating disease. They have already been used in some settings and there is a huge amount of research going into stem cell treatments for a range of conditions.
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However, there is a lot of controversy around stem cells because many of them are taken from embryos. This is making it more difficult for new research to go forward, which poses a big challenge because there are so many amazing potential benefits. These are some of the conditions that could be treated with stem cells in the future.
Leukemia
One of the major life-threatening diseases that could be treated with stem cells is Leukemia. This is a form of blood cancer that can affect anybody at any time as there do not seem to be any clear risk factors for it. This makes it particularly dangerous but stem cells are already being used as an effective treatment for huge numbers of people. Blood stem cells are transplanted in patients where they can grow into healthy new cells and combat leukemia. This is a very effective treatment that can cure patients, in some cases. However, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome before the treatment is perfected. Patients undergo aggressive chemotherapy before the transplant and this destroys their immune system, meaning that there is a very high risk of infections when this treatment is administered. Researchers are currently looking for ways around this.
Chronic Pain
There are many types of chronic pain conditions and sometimes, the direct cause is not clear. Treatments are available but many of them, especially opioid painkillers, have some severe side effects, like addiction. As a result, better alternatives are needed. There are natural painkiller solutions but these may not always be effective when treating serious chronic pain conditions. The good news is, research into stem cell treatments offers a viable alternative.
Stem cell treatments, like Infiniti Cell, a company run by Kevin Lucas, aim to use stem cells to treat chronic pain conditions. Their revolutionary treatments are already helping people manage their chronic pain and as more research is carried out, it is likely that stem cells will become the go-to treatment for pain conditions.
Neurological Conditions
There are a number of neurological conditions that pose a serious threat to public health, like Parkinson’s disease, Huntingdon’s Disease, and Motor Neurone Disease. Currently, treatments for these conditions are very limited and there is no known way to reverse the degradation in the brain. However, stem cells are one of the most effective ways to repair damaged tissue in the body, so there is a lot of potential here. Early clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease show that when stem cells are implanted in the brain, there are promising results. It’s only in the initial investigation stages at the moment, but there is a lot of potential there and scientists are doing similar trials with other neurological conditions. As these treatments are perfected, they could potentially eliminate neurological conditions altogether in the future.
Stem cells might be a divisive issue, but they are incredibly effective. These are just some of the serious conditions that they could treat in the future.