STEM CELLS ETHICS:

Stem cells are linked with the origins and development of human mankind. We must remember that the stem cells are all over the human body replacing cells that every day die. Unfortunatelyin certain diseases this seems to be not enough.
The use of embryonic stem cells creates great controversy due to the fact that its use carries the termination of a just coneived human life. The Vatican and the Congress of the United States of America strongly reject the use of these cells. Both of them sustain that this therapy should be based in adult stem cells, specially after scientific publications of their benefits.
In our institution (Brazzini Institute), we don´t use embryonic stem cells. We use adult stem cells, which are in a great amount in the bone marrow where they are constantly renewed.
Around the world, the principles and rules that have oriented the stem cells therapy is to try to cure the patients, which is the milestone of medicine. This is of capital importance in diseases with great suffering or limitations that affect the life quality of the patient. Considering this scenario we consider ethical to offer this therapy, but always warning that this is not a cure but a relief of the suffering that can improve the life quality. We don´t know yet for how long will the effects last, but our patients have shown an improvement between 15 and 80%, most of them above 50%.
We are very concerned in the follow up of our patients. For that reason we provide free neurologist follow up consults in the next two months, and he is the one that decides the necessary medication based on the symptoms. In other words thae patient needs to be followed up by a neurologist.
After a period that ranks between 3 and 6 months, new neurons begin to appear. These new neurons have to be able to be integrated with the other surrounding neurons through neurotransmitters. For that reason we provide free group support with a psychologist, Tai Chi and art sessions. We also do telephone follow up, which we consider important for those living outside of Lima.
In patients with Parkinson and type 2 Diabetes mellitus, the simultaneous injection of of stem cells in the pancreatic circulation has carried a lowering of blood glucose levels, very close to normal values. In two patients with severe arterial disease of the legs, with cold feet and enrmous pain that were going to be amputated, the stem cells therapy produced an important improvement in arterial blood flow and saved their legs from amputation.

STEM CELLS AND SCIENCE:

The treatment of hematological disorders like leukemia with stem cells from a compatible donor or bone marrow transpllant is more than 35 years old.
In the transplant that we perform, which is called implant, the stem cells are obtained from the patients bone marrow and are placed through vascular catheters, in the damaged or dying tissues. For that reason we don´t deal with compatibility reactions.
The technique used to implant the cerebral artteries is called cerebral arteries catheterization. This procedure is more than 40 years old and is being performed by a specialist that has more than 25 years of experience in cerebral catheterizations and more complex procedures like cerebral aneurism endovascular therapy, vascular intracerebral malformations embolization or endovascular treatment of stroke.
Bone marrow stem cells therapy is the result of the combination of two separate different techniques, aproved world wide many years ago. The result is a great innovation in the treatment of various diseases that were considerated devastating for the patients and the medical science did not have any alternative to offer.
Under any point of view this is experimental, this is innovation with a solid scientific back up, that has led us to a significant medical progress.
There is a huge amount of recognized scientific publications around the world that point out the success of stem cells therapy mainly in chronic degenerative diseases in the nervous system, the heart, theliver, limb arteries, type 2 diabetes, lungs, etc.

“WE CONSIDER THAT THERAPY WITH STEM CELLS IN CONDITIONS LIKE PARKINSON DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASES, DIABETES, CIRROSIS AND ARTERIAL DISEASES OF LEGS, IS HIGLY RECOMMENDED.”

SOME PUBLICATIONS ABOUT STEM CELLS USE IN SEVERAL DISEASES:

•Stem Cells 2006;24:1822–1830 - London: 5 patients

•Stem Cells 2006;24;2292-2298; originally published online Jun 15, 2006- Japan: 9 patientes

•Stem Cells 2007;25;2383-2384; originally published online May 31, 2007; DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0056- Italy

•Stem Cells 2005;23;463-470, DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2004-0283- Germany: 3 patientes

•Radiology: Volume 243: Number 1—April 2007- Germany: 6 patients

•JAMA, April 11, 2007—Vol 297, No. 14 (Reprinted)- Brasil: 15 patientes

•Stem Cells 2006;24;1194-1200; originally published online Jan 26, 2006;

•DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2005-0349- Korea: 27

•Assmus, B., et al. 2002. Circulation. 106:3009–3017. –Germany : 20

•Meyer, G.P., et al. 2006. Circulation. 113:1287–1294- Germany : 20
2006. Lancet. 367,9505:113–121- Belgium : 60
Scand. Cardiovasc. J. 39,3:150–158- Norway: 67

•Zohlnhofer, D., et al. 2006. Jama. 295:1003–1010- Germany: 100

•2006. Eur. J. Heart Fail. 8:105–110- England: 56

Is important to say that our greatest experience is in neurological degenerative diseases, like Parkinson. In this field, this year we got an AWARD in the most important Interventional Radiology congress in the world, in Washington D.C., and Peru was the only one Latin American country to receive an award. We were considered, with other nine from other countries, the best experience presentation in the world.