What stem cell treatments have you had?
UPDATE: I’ve now updated the poll to allow readers to choose up to 2 answers since this is important given the new option of “If facing a disease…”
One of the cool things about writing this blog is that I get to meet so many amazing people including patients and their families as well as patient advocates.
I have been surprised by the number of people who have gone to other countries for stem cell treatments. We heard in the news about pitcher Bartolo Colon going to the Dominican Republic for a stem cell treatment but many regular, non-famous people are getting these treatments too. I have met many of them. I don’t judge them because I know what it is like to be a patient. I simply ask how it went from them and wish them the best.
So I’m curious how many of you out there have had a stem cell treatment or have had a family member or friend who did? Please take part in the poll above. If you had a treatment and are comfortable about it, please share your experience in the comments.
Bonnie, you make some excellent points. I am going to add a category to the poll.
Paul
I voted “it’s too dangerous”, but honestly, if I had a major injury or disease that currently has no viable treatment options, I would probably end up looking into every single option available, just out of desperation.
On the scale of “might consider if I was paralyzed” to “no way jose”, autologous MSCs are more on the “maybe” side, while any kind of fetal or embryonic cells are over by the “no way” category due to the greater risk of major adverse outcomes. I’d certainly try to join an ESC clinical trial if I was in that kind of situation, but I can’t imagine being desperate enough to let an unregulated foreign clinic inject any kind of pluripotent cell product into me.