‘Stem cell transplant can be fatal if stem cells don’t come from patient’s body’

MANILA, Philippines - With the growing popularity of stem cell treatment, the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) warned yesterday that the procedure can lead to “fatal complications” if the stem cells will not come from the patient’s body.

In a statement, PSSCM spokesman Leo Olarte said stem cell transplant could pose many complications and some of these are potentially fatal, “depending on many factors, including the type of blood disorder, the type of transplant and the age and health of the person.”

“Although some people experience few problems with a transplant, others may develop complications that may require treatment or hospitalization. Some complications could even be life-threatening,” warned Olarte, who is also the vice president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).

The complications that can arise include “graft-versus-host disease (allogeneic transplant only), stem cell (graft) failure, organ injury, infections, cataracts, infertility, new cancers, and even death.”

According to Olarte, those undergoing a transplant using stem cells from a donor — or the allogeneic stem cell transplant — may also be at risk of acquiring “graft-versus-host diseases.”

“This condition occurs when a donor’s transplanted stem cells attack your body. Graft-versus-host disease can be mild or severe. It can occur soon after your transplant or months to years later,” he said.

Olarte added that graft-versus-host disease can also affect any organ, “commonly the skin (rash, often like sunburn), gut (mouth sores, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting), liver (jaundice or yellowing of the skin), lungs (blocked airways) or eyes (irritation and light sensitivity).”

“It can lead to chronic disability due to organ injury or infections and can be life-threatening. Your doctor must monitor closely for signs and symptoms of graft-versus-host disease,” he said.

Olarte also warned the rejection rate for stem cells coming from a donor is a high “95 to 100 percent.”

Earlier, the PMA had acknowledged the “tremendous potential for the future use of stem cells” in the medical field but warned that at this point, it is still on experimental stage.

“The PMA commits itself to keep the patients’ best interests above all and underscores the need to support evidence-based medicine and debunk unsubstantiated or even partially substantiated claims. To date, the marketing and promotion of stem cell therapies and stem cell-based procedures for various diseases are not adequately supported by clinical evidence,” the PMA said in a position paper released by its president, Dr. Modesto Llamas.

The PMA underscored the need for the “stem cell dosages and administration methods… to be standardized for clinical application efficacy, safety and suitability.”

“To date, only three sources of stem cells have a record of proven safety: bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood taken from autologous human sources. Stem cell transplants intended to repair injured heart muscle or nerve cells are still experimental,” the PMA added.

It said stem cell therapy using “purified animal cells” from sheep or cow organs, embryos or fetuses “do not have a track of efficacy or safety when it comes to treating human illnesses, promoting aesthetics or reversing the signs of aging.”

“Until more solid evidence is available, medical research on stem cell therapies and stem cell-based procedures should be conducted within clinical studies under Institutional Review Board approval; must follow ethical guidelines to guarantee that the results will be for the public good; and comply with all Food and Drug Administration regulations,” it added. 

Health Secretary Enrique Ona also got alarmed over the proliferation of health care facilities offering stem cell treatment so he created a task force that would formulate guidelines on how to regulate the practice.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” — Luke 6:31