This image shows pancreatic cancer cells (blue) growing, encased within membranes (red).
Min Yu/Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC via NIH/Flickr
Huanhuan Joyce Chen, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering e Abhimanyu Thakur, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
Many tumors have cancer stem cells that help them grow and evade treatments. Differentiation therapy forces these cells to mature, stopping growth with less toxicity than traditional treatments.
Human embryo research allows us to understand normal and abnormal human development.
Anusorn Nakdee/Shutterstock
The rule, which previously acted as the upper time limit on human embryo research, has been dropped, paving the way for research on older human embryos.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research’s newly released guidelines aim to address new ethical challenges posed by stem cell advances such as model embryos and human-monkey hybrid embryos.
All multiple sclerosis sufferers have stem cells with the potential to heal them, but scientists are only just figuring out how to kick them into action.
Researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, are the first to turn mice stem cells into mature eggs that can be fertilised.
Deficiencies in a critical nutrient can lead to an abnormally wired brain. Illustration of a network of nerve cells in the.
brain.
Benedict Campbell, Wellcome Images/Flickr
When it comes to stem cells, the ways that informed consent has been obtained in the past are not sufficient and improvements are needed.
Empty sample tubes wait to be filled in a blood and urine sample freezer. South Africa has no legislation governing biobanks that deal with human biological material.
Reuters/Phil Noble
Ames Dhai, University of the Witwatersrand e Safia Mahomed, University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa has no legislation setting out the rules for biobanks and the guidelines that do exist are not clear or detailed. This leaves the door wide open for unethical practises.
Although safe bone marrow harvesting has taken place in South Africa for more than 50 years, there are many unproven stem cell treatments on offer.
shutterstock
Unless the South African government tightens its laws that govern stem cell treatments, unproven stem cell therapy will continue to surge.
Demonstrators dressed as embryos gather outside the French parliament to protest laws authorising research on embryonic stem cells. Across the world, countries are implementing additional laws to use treatments that are still in trial phases.
Reuters/Benoit Tessier
Many countries are introducing legislation and allowing practitioners to use medication still undergoing trials but that show preliminary signs of being safe, including some stem cell treatments.
Legislation in South Africa needs to be updated to accommodate the development in stem cell research and therapies.
Reuters
South Africa may have legislation broadly guiding stem cell research and treatment, but these laws must be updated and clarified for it to be effective.
Stem cell research and therapy have become buzzwords across the globe. Although some of the treatments are controversial and unsafe, there is also a great deal of excitement and promise.
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Science has come a long way, it’s time for communication to catch up.
Pieter Kuiper
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