DEAR DR. GOTT: Is there any treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using stem cell research here in the United States or overseas? I’m interested.
DEAR READER: There are two types of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Embryonic cells are taken from fertilized eggs or aborted fetuses and have been found useful for medical research because they have the capability of producing cells for almost every tissue in the body. Adult cells are not as desirable because they are designated for specific cells such as blood, muscle, skin and intestines and are difficult to harvest. Oddly enough, “adult” is something of a misnomer because people of every age have them.
Stem cells have the ability to generate new tissue, cure some diseases, test drugs and help researchers understand why some cells develop in an abnormal manner. Once this is completely understood, scientists may be able to determine how to prevent some diseases.
Stem cell research is extremely promising for several disorders, yet the controversy continues. There is a belief by opponents that fertilized eggs are actually human beings with rights. Supporters take the position that fertilized eggs are donated with the approval of the couples involved and would likely be discarded, eliminating the potential for any eggs to become human beings.
On the positive side, scientists have developed a successful technique for generating stem cells from mice without destroying the embryo; however, the technique hasn’t been used on either human or embryonic tissue at this writing.
The long and short of it is, perhaps other treatment might be more appropriate for you at this time. You can find more information from the International Society of Stem Cell Research, www.ISSCR.org.
