Thailand To Conduct Tests On Stem Cells

[george]

Thailand to conduct tests on stem cells

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will carry out an experiment on the efficacy and safety of stem cell technology in curing heart disease, the first-ever official test on stem cell treatment on humans, local media reported on Sunday.

The program, to be conducted on 40 patients with heart symptoms,will be joined by the Department of Medical Sciences, Mahidol University and the Cardiac Institute of Thailand.

Pongpan Vongmanee, deputy chief of the Medical Sciences Department, said Thailand has no official report about possible consequences from this new medical technology. The test results will be a concrete guideline for drawing up an effective plan for stem cell development.

The test will last for two months and it would take at least one year for the research team to reach a conclusion on the effectiveness of stem cell treatment as it would need to follow upthe conditions of the patients who undergo the test, he was quotedby Bangkok Post as saying.

Pongpan believed that within next five years, Thailand will make a lot of progress in the field of stem cell technology.

Although the government just started to officially study stem cell treatment, private hospitals have already provided the treatment without waiting for the test results.

Pakdee Pothisiri, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said his department has been drafting a law to control imports and exports of stem cells to ensure safety.

He said regulations concerning stem cell treatment would need to undergo public hearings when the drafting process is completed in June, since it is a fresh new medical field for Thailand.

Apart from heart disease, stem cells could also serve as a regenerative medicine for other diseases such as diabetes and brain disorders.

--Agencies 2006-04-17

[Jai Dee]

Update: Hoarseness patients cured by stem-cell treatment

Secretary-General of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRTC) informed the progress of stem-cell treatment for hoarseness. Six patients with hoarseness speak normally after they have been treated by stem cell-method.

NRTC Secretary-General Prof.Anond Bunyarattawet (อานนท์ บุณยะรัตเวช) attended an academic meeting “Emerging Technology on Stem Cell” held by the National Center for Genetic Enginnering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and the Wisconsin University of the United States. Prof.Anond said during the meeting that NRTC has supported the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital in conducting research and developing the stem-cell treatment for hoarseness.

According to Prof.Anond, stem cells extracted from blood samples of the patient had been injected into their damaged vocal cord. A one-year close surveillance on six patients with hoarseness shows that they have been recovered and now speak with normal voice. However, the stem-cell treatment for hoarseness still needs further research and development, he said.

The secretary-general added that NRTC has also supported the Chest Disease Institute in conducting research on stem-cell treatment for heart disease. Five heart disease patients participating in the research have been reported to show good signs. He affirmed that although Thai researchers have less research money than their foreign counterparts, they have the same potential to advance the stem-cell treatment.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007

[DrFisher]

I'm very happy to see that someone in the world has the intellect to use this wonderful new medical tech and research without having to answer to superstitious panels that follow archaic beliefs.

[TAWP]

Indeed! And it should stop the argument "none has ever been cured by [it]'.

[chownah]

Notice that there is no indication that Thai scientists have developed these treatments...only that they are studying treatment using them. I don't know for sure but this sounds like more clinical trials of stem cell therapies developed by others....but I don't know for sure....I'd like to find out if anyone knows or knows where.

Chownah

[llso]

Here is a link about Thai stem cell research:

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/adultstemcell.asp

LL

[Scott]

I am 100% for stem cell research, but lets be a little cautious here. First of all just what medical condition did these people with this vague condition known as "hoarseness" have.

Six people recovering from a vague condition is about the same number required for someone to be nominated for sainthood in the Catholic church. And lets make sure that 3 years from now they aren't blowing soliloquets through the vocal chords growing on their rectums!

Lets remember the researcher in Korea who was making such astounding headway in cloning. This country is hardly immune from taking short cuts and making dramatic claims.

In the meantime, a lot of encouragement for true and pure research and development should be encouraged. Care needs to be taken on just trying it on patients and they get well. Lots of people get well with or without medical treatment.

[chownah]

Here is a link about Thai stem cell research:

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/adultstemcell.asp

LL

Thanks so much for the great link! It is well worth reading and I recommend it for anyone interested in finding out what is being done. It seems that indeed there are clinical trials being done in Thailand but the actual stem cell research (research on developing techniques for creating new stem cell products and basic research into the characteristics and development of stem cells) is being done elsewhere....as nearly as I can gather form the information presented.

Some people will think that I'm trying to put down the Thai's involved in these clinical trial but that is not my intent. I'm hoping that by knowing that the development and research is being done in well established facilities that people interested in perhaps having this treatment done in Thailand will feel more secure in the consistence and reliability of the treatment itself and thus be perhaps encouraged to check it out......let's face it....saying that a stem cell treatment was developed in Thailand is not considered to be an encouragement by many.

Chownah

[Prakanong]

Here is a link about Thai stem cell research:

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/adultstemcell.asp

LL

Thanks so much for the great link! It is well worth reading and I recommend it for anyone interested in finding out what is being done. It seems that indeed there are clinical trials being done in Thailand but the actual stem cell research (research on developing techniques for creating new stem cell products and basic research into the characteristics and development of stem cells) is being done elsewhere....as nearly as I can gather form the information presented.

Some people will think that I'm trying to put down the Thai's involved in these clinical trial but that is not my intent. I'm hoping that by knowing that the development and research is being done in well established facilities that people interested in perhaps having this treatment done in Thailand will feel more secure in the consistence and reliability of the treatment itself and thus be perhaps encouraged to check it out......let's face it....saying that a stem cell treatment was developed in Thailand is not considered to be an encouragement by many.

Chownah

I will read the article - sound interesting.

I am involved in Clinical Trials and Thailand is one country we have staff.

As I said it the ICT Minister thread our staff in Thailand are excellent and are seen as some of the best in Asia if not the world (they actually won prizes last year at our annual conference).

We are actually gong to put more work that way including more complicated studies for higher priority products.

Of course the orgiginal research and development of the products are not done in Thailand but the latter stages of development certainly are.

[Prakanong]

I am also glad the writer of the original article was put in his place regarding Medical ethics Committees in Thailand in places such as Siriraj and that they act withing the accords of the Helsinki Agreement.

I bit of basic research would have shown that.

We have regular audits and not following GCP and the Helsinki Accords ould mean failure and the study data not used in some cases - a massive waste of time, effort and money.

Edited February 23, 2007 by Prakanong

[Scott]

Overall, with regard to medical treatment here, I have had very good luck. I've had a couple of surgeries--one which was both life-threatening and had a good chance of leaving me permanently paralyzed. I came through both without a hitch.

I know some of the smaller hospitals and maybe some of the gov't hospitals are little bit dodgy, but the level of care, knowledge and treatment at the private ones is excellent.

I don't exactly trust their research component here because 1) science in general is a weak point and 2) there is too much involvement from powerful people/vested interests. Clinical trials I am quite confident would be handled very well.

In the years to come, hopefully R & D will improve--the potential is there.

[abcsimon]

Update: Hoarseness patients cured by stem-cell treatment

...

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007

Has anyone found artcles or papers about this treatment?