From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Sat Feb 08 2003 - 02:54:08 MST
Rafal writes
> Ian Reilly wrote:
> > REGARDING PARKINSONS:
> > Some of you may be interested to know that the Swedes treated a
> > drug induced severe Parkinson's type disorder with embryonic stem
> > cells. The treatment was apparently successful, albeit extremely
> > expensive. It involved injecting the dopamine producing stem cells
> > into the region of the brain that is damaged by PD. The experimental
> > treatment was done on some people from California. There was also a
> > bit on the program about the severity of the side effects of Levadopa
> > - apparently it is very nasty stuff - debilitating side effects are
> > inevitable if the patient continues to take it.
>
> ### You might want to peruse some articles in "Neurology" over the past two
> years, showing that stem cell implants are as yet a highly immature
> technology, suitable strictly for research purposes due to major surgical
> and other risks, as well as lack of clear evidence of sustained efficacy.
Well, don't you think that the individual patient, his or her family,
and their familial medical practitioners should have a say in the
matter? In some individual condition, it might be the best option
to adopt a treatment that has very little chance of success. So
who should decide?
Why, ---wait--- don't tell me! I know! It must be left to
Professional Bodies hundreds or thousands of miles away who
are not familiar with the particular distress of a particular
condition, but whose wisdom so exceeds that of the individuals
directly involved, that the matter simply cannot be left in
the ignorant and incompetent hands of the locals! Right?
Thank goodness the Swedes or some other researchers out of
reach are not required to follow the central directives of
our wonderful American FDA.
Lee
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