Stem cell transplant from fetal tissue caused brain cancer
February 18, 2009 by Grace Ibay
Filed under Health
The potential and safety of using stem cells to treat diseases suffered a setback with the news of a botched experimental treatment of a human being.
A teenage boy who received fetal stem cells developed brain cancer four years after the transplant, reports PLoS Medicine this week.
The patient suffered from a recessive genetic disorder called ataxia telangiectasia (AT), an incurable rare disease that causes degeneration of the part of the brain that controls movement and speech. When the boy was 9 years old, his parents took him to Moscow to have experimental stem cell therapy. Russian researchers injected the boy with transplants of neural stem cells taken from the brains of aborted fetuses.
Four years later, the donor stem cells inside the boy’s brain differentiated into a cancerous tumor. (More after photo)
MRI of Brain (A) and spinal column (B) showing lesions. Image credited to PLos Medicine.
The findings bring the debate on the safety of stem cell therapy back to the table. In general, there is no question that stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a wide variety of diseases, and regenerate tissues after disease or injury. However, embryonic and fetal stem cell therapy continue be controversial precisely because of the potential (and the danger) for these cells to differentiate into any kind of tissue.
The Scientist asked opinions from several US stem cell scientists. As one put it “it is a (one) case report” and there are many questions left unanswered. Could the patient’s immune system triggered the donor stem cells to turn cancerous? Could the experimental procedures in Moscow to blame? Or is fetal stem cell therapy unreliable and dangerous in this sense?
As one other scientist commented, “It’s a cautionary tale".
***
On an interesting sidebar, I Googled “fetal stem cells” and came across a forum where members have already had or are asking questions about fetal and embryonic stem cell therapy in the Dominican, performed by a certain Dr. Rader.
***
The Study: Donor-Derived Brain Tumor Following Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in an Ataxia Telangiectasia Patient Amariglio N, Hirshberg A, Scheithauer BW, Cohen Y, Loewenthal R, et al. PLoS Medicine Vol. 6, No. 2, e29 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000029
Overlooking Quantum-Biophysical-Semeiotic Constitutions present use of Stem Cells is dangerous, as I illustrated formerly in diverse websites:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2007041101736&start=41
http://community.diabetes.org/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=5&nav=messages&webtag=adanews&tid=1302
In my opinion, a great lot of money on studying stem cells, in spite of their origin, accounts for the reason there is an overlooked bias in such as research articles, as I wrote elsewhere (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2007041101736&start=41
http://community.diabetes.org/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=5&nav=messages&webtag=adanews&tid=1302).
In fact, in performing stem cell researches all around the world scientists overlook both an inherited mithocondrial cytopathy, I termed Congenital Acidosic Enzyme-Metabolic Histangiopathy and Biophysical-Semeiotic Constitutions 1-6 See website For instance: accordingly, type 2 diabetes is a major problem worldwide, a real epidaemic. Independent of different countries, in recent decades diabetes prevalence has increased rapidly over time among both developed and deceloping populations. Surely, genetic factors alone cannot explain these patterns. However, as allows me to state my clinical experience, See URL: an individual, without diabetic AND dyslipidemic biophysical-semeiotic constitutions, can not be involved by type 2 diabets, at all 1-6. Certainly, rapid changes in lifestyle and risk factors such as obesity, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking, a.s.o., acting on people with diabetic and dyslipidemic constitution may cause, AT FIRST, Pre-Metabolic Syndrome, then, over years or decades, metabolic syndrome 2, 6, IGT, and finally type 2 diabetes. In a few words, all around the world, e.g., the war against diabetes mellitus and its well-known and harmful complications, as well as the war against all other serious and common human diseases, is nowadays possible, also utilizing possibly staminal cells of “whatever†origin, exclusively by means of a primary prevention, which must be perform at the bed-side, i.e., clinically, on a very large scale, using the simple stethoscope. In addition, we must in the future utilize staminal cell, even of amnyotic fluid, of individuals not involved by above-cited biophysical semeiotic constitutions! In other words, in both primary prevention and screening programme for whatever disease, including DM and its complications, and cancer, we need efficacious clinical tools to obtain the best results, avoiding, e.g., to use staminal cell with impaired mitochondria. Really, early diagnosis must certainly be established in asymptomatic patients, who, for example, are evolving slowly towards diabetes mellitus, i.e. long time before disease onset, in order to avoid the well known, severe complications. In fact, to prevent these diabetic complications, including diabetic retinopathy, on very large scale it is extremely necessary that doctors use a clinical tool reliable in diagnosing early diabetes mellitus stages, from initial stages, i.e., quantum-biophysical-semeiotic constitutions, and then the Pre-Metabolic Syndrome. (1-5)
References
1 Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M. Valutazione percusso-ascoltatoria del Diabete Mellito. Aspetti teorici e pratici. Epat. 32, 131 1986
2 Stagnaro Sergio, Stagnaro-Neri Marina. Introduzione alla Semeiotica Biofisica. Il Terreno oncologico. Travel Factory SRL., Roma, 2004
3 Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M., Le Costituzioni Semeiotico-Biofisiche.Strumento clinico fondamentale per la prevenzione primaria e la definizione della Single Patient Based Medicine. Ediz. Travel Factory, Roma, 2004.
4 Stagnaro S., Istangiopatia Congenita Acidosica Enzimo-Metabolica. Una Patologia Mitocondriale Ignorata. Gazz Med. It. – Arch. Sci. Med. 144, 423,1985 Infotrieve.
5 Stagnaro S. Diet and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2002 Jan 243464:297-298. [MEDLINE].
6 Stagnaro S.-Neri M..Stagnaro S., Sindrome di Reaven, classica e variante, in evoluzione diabetica. Il ruolo della Carnitina nella prevenzione del diabetemellito. Il Cuore. 6, 617, 1993, [MEDLINE].
Over 100 years ago, a Russian histologist suggested stem cells be applied for scientific research. They are the human body’s equivalent of a generator, as they can renew, regenerate, and replicate under the right conditions.
The apex of cellular therapy and regenerative/reparative medicine has been reborn after an 8 year moratorium that basically halted federal funding for stem cell research with most states in the U.S.
Now the NIH can award grants to scientists involved with biomedical research involving stem cell therapy through the CMS to each state in the U.S.
While never banned, stem cell research had limited funding during this time. And this was unfortunate, because there are several likely uses of stem cells.
These uses include the replacement of tissues in the human body, as well as repairing cell types that are defective. Also, stem cells can deliver genetic therapies that are needed in certain patients.
ESCs are totiplotent if obtained from the morula which is a pre-blastocyst stage. Normally, the stem cells are acquired from the blastocyst itself. From this source, the stem cells can be any cell in the human body except for the placenta, and are pluripotent.
Embryonic stem cells are obtained from a 4 day old embryo called a blastocyst, and are pluripotent from this source. The blastocyst contains about 100 cells, and is not suitable at this stage for implantation into the uterine wall.
The inner core of the blastocyst has about 20 cells, and this is where stem cells are obtained.
These cells are unspecialized cells that can be developed or morphed into the over 200 cells available in the human body through differentiation, as ESCs are undifferentiated by nature.
As such, they can become any human cell, as long as they are prevented from clumping or crowding together when explanted into cultures as they are propagated. After stem cells are cultured, they are moved to what are called stem lines.
Until recently, ESCs were believed to be most beneficial instead of the adult stem cell alternative (ASC), as these stem cells are limited to application to the tissue the stem cells were obtained from only. However ASCs (somatic stem cells) now can be coerced into differentiation through plasticity (trans-differentiation). This likely will reduce if not eliminate those opposed to stem cell therapy because of moral and ethical reasons related to the utilization of ESCs.
Thanks to molecular biology, four transcription factors control the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNAS to regulate gene expression. So ASCs can have the same beneficial qualities as ESCs.
In the past, viral vectors and exotic genes interfered with the purity of ASCs. Now ASCs are re-programmed using plasmids instead of viruses and oncogenes that can become detrimental for the patient treated.
So now, ASCs can safely become induced pluripotent cells with the same potential as ESCs. As a result, the ASCs are free of genetic artifacts that potentially can interfere with transgene sequences.
They are capable of, and are able to renew and reproduce with minimal effort, stem cells, under the right laboratory conditions.
Human blood can be reproduced with stem cells under the right conditions, it has been shown by researchers.
SCT can also be used to investigate disease states for better treatment options.
Disease-specific stem cell lines, which are those cells that are pluripotent and are created with the same genetic errors of certain diseases, are studied for this reason.
So there clearly is a huge potential for stem cell-based therapies. The first FDA approved clinical trial occurred early in 2009. This human trial will involve evaluating primarily the safety of ESCs designed to be used as treatment for spinal cord injury patients. The trial was submitted by Geron Corp.
Pfizer, the largest drug company, has implemented stem cell research, as they are an asset to drug discovery by creating within the organization a regenerative medicine unit. Other large pharma companies are implemented similar research protocols for the same reasons.
Geron Corp. in California is the world’s leading esc developer, and financed researchers at Univ. of Wisconsin, who isolated the first human esc in 1998.
Stem cell therapy potentially can cure multiple sclerosis, among other disases and those with damaged human tissue. The therapy prevents the advancement of disease, as well as reverses the neurological dysfunctions associated with MS. Patients are injected with their own stem cells obtained from their bone marrow, which are called haemopoietic stem cells.
These particular stem cells are the origin of all blood cells. Further large clinical trials are needed to support these results. Studies have shown between 70 and 80 percent of MS patients who received stem cell therapy did not relapse afterwards.
Allogenic, or donor transplants, have a risk of graft versus host disease. Autologous, which is the patient’s own stem cells, are preferable and most beneficial. Similar results from this autologous bone marrow transplant cellular therapy are seen with Chron’s disease as well.
During the procedure, the immune system is reset so it is not in an autoimmune state where it attacks the human body. The process lasts about 2 months, and consists of 6phases:
1. Initial chemo
2. Release of stem cells
3. Acquisition of stem cells
4. Cells are then frozen until ready for transplant
5. Second chemo to reduce leukocytes
6. Autologous stem-cell transplant. Immune system is reset.
Positive results from stem cell therapy are seen usually within a month, and patients can request another treatment about 6 months after the first treatment presently. This stem cell paradigm of therapy addresses the etiology of a disease state, instead of focusing on the symptoms only. As such, this is the practice of regenerative medicine with the implementation of SCT.
Some believe ethical restraints are needed regarding the use of ESCs for therapeutic reasons. Yet they improve the quality of life of those with devastating diseases which involves suffering without any relief.
So stem cell therapy and research may be the most right and ethical thing to do for such patients. Not only is the tremedous suffering relieved with those possessed with devistating diseases, their functional ability is restored for those who receive stem cell therapy.
Embryos are acquired from fertility clinics (IVFs) that have thousands routinely stored and are abnormally fertilized. This means that they could never go on to become a human, and would be destroyed otherwise.
Ironically, one could argue it is inappropriate to discard what may be valuable and ethical for others, potentially.
Most couples with frozen embryos would gladly give them to such research, surveys have concluded.
These embryos are believed by many to not be morally equivalent to human life, but only have the potential for life. And they are used for therapeutic cloning, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, and not reproductive cloning.
Ten states have banned this cloning out of ignorance, it seems. Bioethic principles, which are beneficience, or physician-centered decisions, as well as non-maleficence, which is first do no harm, are not corrupted.
Furthermore, autonomy, which is the patient’s right to determine their health, and justice or fairness remain intact.
Stem cells should be utilized for those terminally ill as well, many believe. Many are seeking stem cell therapy overseas due to retrictions that exist in the U.S. presently. The United Kingdom is believed to be the leader in stem cell research presently.
Dan Abshear