Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
seen as the ultimate lifestyle product, it seems fairly obvious that this
is one market for stem cell based therapies that has the potential to
become much larger in the future.
2.3
Stem cell tourism: is it a fraud or a worthwhile
endeavour?
As the evidence from patient activism, the growth of stem cell
tourism and the expansion of the anti-ageing, life-extension and
lifestyle drug markets testify to, there are a number of demand
pressures influencing the shape of the stem cell market to come.
What is becoming clear is that patients are seeking out stem cell
based treatments for a range of different reasons in increasingly large
numbers, without waiting for regulatory developments or social
health distribution systems to catch up with this demand. While
clinical trials are slowly starting to get underway, what remains to be
seen is whether or not the untested therapies that individuals are
undertaking are really as dubious as they are described by organizations
like the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
The ISSCR is a US-based not-for-profit organization that was
established in 2002 ( http://www.isscr.org ). It was originally formed
as a global forum for the collaboration and exchange of information
relating to stem cell research ( http://www.isscr.org ). It now has over
3500 members from around the world and arguably has a significant
leadership role in the international stem cell research community
( http://www.isscr.org ). As a professional body for stem cell scientists,
the ISSCR has produced guidelines for human embryonic stem cell
research and clinical translation that, although not legally binding,
serve as a de facto regulation of members' activities. In addition to
this, as mentioned previously, the ISSCR has also published a Patient
Handbook for individual's looking at pursuing unproven therapies
outside their home countries, and an accompanying website that
explains to prospective patients how best to evaluate any proposed
therapy ( http://www.isscr.org ).
Overall, the ISSCR is against treatments that have not been proven
through rigorous clinical trial testing, arguing that not only do such
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