Adult Stem Cells: our future health?

More than 250 scientists, physicians and experts on adult stem cells have gathered in the Vatican to hear colleagues expound on their groundbreaking research at a three day international conference entitled "Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture." The event, organised by the U.S. Stem for Life Foundation and by the Pontifical Council for Culture, aims to support research and increase public awareness of medical treatment using adult stem cells. Also attending the conference are religious, politicians, educators and industry representatives.

Vatican Radio asked Dr. Robin Smith, President of the Stem for Life Foundation and CEO of the biotech company NeoStem, why the ethically charged issue of embryonic stem cell research continues to grip public debate while morally acceptable and highly successful research on adult stem cells apparently has failed to garner similar attention.

“It’s controversial,” explains Dr. Smith who says that’s “why people are speaking about it a lot. I think more and more we’re seeing data to show the benefits and potential uses of adult stem cell therapy in the future and the more data we see, the more people will understand the possibilities and the importance of taking these from the lab into the clinic.”

Dr. Smith describes the Vatican conference as “a groundbreaking three days” and says “the most interesting have been the patients.”

Over the first two days of the conference, patients now as many as 14 years in remission from Leukaemia, Multiple Sclerosis and other killer diseases shared their stories of desperation and debilitating illness and their return to good health and normal lives after treatment with adult stem cells. Some had been told by earlier doctors they would only have had months to live.

“Seeing the patients, hearing their stories,” says Dr. Smith, “you realize how tremendous this is and how the shift in medicine using cell therapy is not just a dream but a reality.”

In an interview with Tracey McClure, Dr. Smith also speaks about the need for international ethical guidelines on all phases of research: from the collection, storage, experimentation and industrialization of stem cells for clinical therapy.
Listen to the interview: