Name: Janine
Current Event Posting: #3
Topic: Health
Title: Texas Board Approves Rules on Use of Stem Cells
Length of article: 630 words
Author: Minjae Park
Source: NY Times
Date: April 13th, 2012
On Friday, the Texas Medical Board approved controversial new rules on the use of adult stem cells, raising the concerns that Texans could receive therapies that have no yet been proven to work and that could potentially be unsafe or harmful. The new rules allow doctors to preform stem cell procedures as long as they are done for research and receive approval from an institutional review board, be it private or profit-making. The rules also require that patients sign informed consent forms. The actual process of getting approve took months. It was set in motion by Rick Perry, who reported relief from back pain after being injected with his own stem cells last summer before he began his presidential bid. He directed his staff to help push through the legislation on which the new rules are based. Researches say the evidence of success of stem cell injections is anecdotal, and they advocate waiting for clinical trial results before allowing doctors to charge patients for procedures. Needless to say, these types of trials and procedures are costly, with the average at tens of thousands of dollars.
However, because the rules have already been published in the The Texas Register and stakeholder had provided feedback, the medical board could not make major changes on Friday and had to quickly either accept or reject the rules. These rules are still in the early drafts of development, and most board members agree that they are nowhere near perfect. However, the rules improved on the current situation by adding a layer of protection for Texas patients.
Stem cell research, while controversial, has proven to be beneficial to all different fields of medicine. The continuation of this research would have only resulted in these trials sooner rather than later. I do not see the problem with allowing patients to participate in the trail after the individual has given consent, as they obviously know the risks at that point. These trails will ultimately prove helpful in furthering research on adult stem cells and their capability to repair and reconstruct different parts of the human body.
This is a victory for the advance of science, which will help people with diseases or disabilities recover from their dehabilitating problems. Stem cells have reached a new level of usefulness, because now they can be created from normal cells. The cells are injected with a chemical syrum, which causes them to revert to the stem cell stage. This makes them a great deal less controversial, which allows us to bring them into more conservative areas. Texas's new laws are a fantastic example of this, because stem cells as they had been before would never have been accepted. I thank Rick Perry for taking the courageous and intrepid step, of increasing the prevealance of science in Texas. However it is unfortunete that the rules are still unfinished, and hopefully this will be fixed soon, before anything happens which could endanger a patients life. Aside from the few incidents where that may occur, this will be a great boon for everyone from scientists to doctors.
ReplyDeleteStem research is important step into launching a new medical procedure that could potentially improve the lives. Though it is controversial it is up to person who is doing the clinical trial
ReplyDeleteThough stem cell research and usage is heavily debated, this newly passed rule will benefit many. There will be risks to using this procedure; however, according to the first paragraph, patients are required to sign an agreement saying that they are undergoing this under their own risks. Personally, I do think it is a major step (for medicine and Rick Perry)to a healthier society because stem cells have the power to replicate quickly into many different types of cells to repair the body. The fact that adult stem cells are being used, versus embryonic stem cells, is less controversial. Perhaps this will be a precursor to the implementation of embryonic stem cell usage in the future. Though whether or not it is, many will benefit from this treatment or research.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this new use of adult stem cells is a great leap in medical technology, this technology should not be used at this point. Not until further clinical trials have been done to determine whether or not stem cell treatment is harmful to the patient. Also, as the article mentions, the results of the few treatments that have already occured are acecdotal meaning that similar result may not present for all patients undergoing this treatment. This would then intiate false hope in other patients and cause them to pay vasts amount of money for a treatment that very well may not work for them. The Texas rules regarding stem cell treatment must be sollidified and clearly identify what doctors can and cannot do. The rules must be aimed at protecting the well being of the patient both medically and financially and not at gaining the most profit for doctors and medical institutes. I am all for the advancement of medical technology and stem cell research but further clinical trials must first be administered before this treatment is allowed to be used on the general public.
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