Processing the stem cells

Stem cells are not ready immediately – they have to be prepared for being the basic part of therapy

Stem cell therapy is a very difficult work that takes experience and knowledge. Do you know that:

1. In order to be used for therapeutic purposes, stem cells are to be carefully instructed and prepared to behave in a specific way. For example, when the transplantation of bone marrow is done the cells are “asked” to do something that they are destined to do, namely, to make blood. That is the reason why the procedure is usually successful. Sometimes experts want cells behave in a way that is absolutely different from their ordinary work in human body. To program the behavior of cells is really difficult. Another problem is gaining integration of stem cells and other cells of the body after the stem cell therapy. 
2. Stem cells are not always safe, even if they come from our bodies. The transplantation of stem cells, just as any medical intervention, is not always safe. If the cells come from the body of the patient, the immune response is unlikely to happen, but all the processing of the cells is really risky. Being out of the patient’s body the cells may change their basic characteristics, may lose the ability to function in a specific way, or may decline from the normal way of the growth control. Moreover, the cells may get infected with various pathogens that may result in a serious disease after transplantation. Removing or injecting the stem cells is risky either. 
3. Stem cell therapy is still an unproven method of treatment. It has to make us think twice before agreeing to it. In most cases when people decide to try this kind of therapy, the disease of theirs is generally considered incurable, so the people feel they have not anything to lose on such trial. But it is wrong. The danger of complications, tumor development should make people consider the potential benefit versus potential risk.