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Which diseases can be treated by stem cell therapy?

Dr Shirish Kumar
Haematologist,
WHO,
Geneva

Q: Other than Moscow, where is the treatment for stem cell available?

A:You have not specified the disease for which stem cell therapy is required. It is readily available in most major Indian hospitals for leukaemia/lymphomas, multiple myeloma, some other cancers and some blood diseases. In other areas the use is rather limited. The most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell based therapies. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are many technical hurdles between the promise of stem cells and the realisation of these uses and clinical trials are still at a nascent stage.