The Thai Medical Council's proposed new regulations on stem cell research may not be approved without opposition from the National Research Council of Thailand and other researchers. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/read.php?newsid=30103591&keyword=stem+cell+treatment+thailand
But looking back over the past few years it shouldn't come as any surprise that a move to regulate stem cell treatments is underway. There have been several causes, some not so obvious.
1.) Aggressive sales by private stem cell banks in Thailand. Seeking to target new families with the storage of cord blood stem cells these companies went over the top with their marketing efforts and brought a controversial issue into the public eye.
2.) Stem cell roller scandal. Last year several private beauty clinics were exposed for offering a stem cell based wrinkle removing technique called "roller" or "derma roller" neither technique approved by the Thai FDA. Ironically, the concern was not the efficiency of the stem cell use but the way in which it was applied, raising concerns about hygiene. More bad publicity.
3.) Lack of independent labs to test stem cell viability. The private hospitals that have used stem cells often have no way of verifying that the cells are the right type or from the right patient. They also don't know if enough of the cells are still viable, or alive. This has nothing to do with the larger question of does the stem cell treatment yield positive results, but it does give critics a scientifically based argument to call for more regulation.
4.) Academics vs. private hospitals. It's all about the money. Academic scientists with a vested interest in securing government funding for stem cell research are some of the strongest voices calling for the new regulations. Since the regulations would effectively bring any research and treatment under the control of universities they would gain not only scientifically but economically. Some of Thailand's leading universities receive funding in the hundreds of millions of baht for stem cell studies. These same universities are also in a bid to compete with leading private hospitals for affluent patients to earn more revenue. It's not as mercenary as it seems. The gains from this lucrative target market help to cover money-losing treatments for poor patients.
But looking back over the past few years it shouldn't come as any surprise that a move to regulate stem cell treatments is underway. There have been several causes, some not so obvious.
1.) Aggressive sales by private stem cell banks in Thailand. Seeking to target new families with the storage of cord blood stem cells these companies went over the top with their marketing efforts and brought a controversial issue into the public eye.
2.) Stem cell roller scandal. Last year several private beauty clinics were exposed for offering a stem cell based wrinkle removing technique called "roller" or "derma roller" neither technique approved by the Thai FDA. Ironically, the concern was not the efficiency of the stem cell use but the way in which it was applied, raising concerns about hygiene. More bad publicity.
3.) Lack of independent labs to test stem cell viability. The private hospitals that have used stem cells often have no way of verifying that the cells are the right type or from the right patient. They also don't know if enough of the cells are still viable, or alive. This has nothing to do with the larger question of does the stem cell treatment yield positive results, but it does give critics a scientifically based argument to call for more regulation.
4.) Academics vs. private hospitals. It's all about the money. Academic scientists with a vested interest in securing government funding for stem cell research are some of the strongest voices calling for the new regulations. Since the regulations would effectively bring any research and treatment under the control of universities they would gain not only scientifically but economically. Some of Thailand's leading universities receive funding in the hundreds of millions of baht for stem cell studies. These same universities are also in a bid to compete with leading private hospitals for affluent patients to earn more revenue. It's not as mercenary as it seems. The gains from this lucrative target market help to cover money-losing treatments for poor patients.
