Target populations for first-in-human embryonic stem cell research in spinal cord injury.
expert_opinion · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21549321.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.stem.2011.04.012.
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Abstract
Geron recently announced that it had begun enrolling patients in the world's first-in-human clinical trial involving cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This trial raises important questions regarding the future of hESC-based therapies, especially in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. We address some safety and efficacy concerns with this research, as well as the ethics of fair subject selection. We consider other populations that might be better for this research: chronic complete SCI patients for a safety trial, subacute incomplete SCI patients for an efficacy trial, and perhaps primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for a combined safety and efficacy trial.
Medical subject headings
- Embryonic Stem Cells
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Patient Selection
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Stem Cell Research
- Stem Cell Transplantation