Category: Science & Technology

NEW YORK — A few months ago, Dr. Thomas Einhorn was treating a patient with a broken ankle that wouldn't heal, even with multiple surgeries. So he sought help from the man's own body.

Einhorn drew bone marrow from the man's pelvic bone with a needle, condensed it to about four teaspoons of rich red liquid, and injected that into his ankle.

Dr. Gabriel Lasala talks with his patient Rodney Schoenhardt of Metairie, La., on July 26 during a checkup in Covington, La. Mr. Schoenhardt has regenerated tissue on his foot since receiving a TCA Cellular Therapy Treatment from Dr. Lasala. Four months later the ankle was healed. Einhorn, chair of orthopedic surgery at Boston University Medical Center, credits "adult" stem cells in the marrow injection. He tried it because of published research from France.

Einhorn's experience isn't a rigorous study. But it's an example of many innovative therapies doctors are studying with adult stem cells. Those are stem cells typically taken from bone marrow and blood — not embryos.

For all the emotional debate that began about a decade ago to allow the use of embryonic stem cells, it's adult stem cells that are in human testing today. An extensive review of stem cell projects and interviews with two dozen experts reveal a wide range of potential treatments.

Adult stem cells are being studied in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, heart attacks and diabetes. Some early results suggest stem cells can help some patients avoid leg amputation. Recently, researchers reported that they restored vision to patients whose eyes were damaged by chemicals.
Click Here For The Full Article

The International Society for Stem Cell Research says it's concerned about aggressive marketing of treatments by clinics that may not have safeguards to ensure safety or likely benefit:
Click Here For The Society's Website