How Multiple Sclerosis Is Being Treated With Stem Cell Based Therapy

How Multiple Sclerosis Is Being Treated With Stem Cell Based Therapy Multiple sclerosis or MS is a very difficult disease to live with. It affects vision, hearing, memory, and balance. According to the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (2013) multiple sclerosis is usually diagnosed in women twice as much as men and affects people between the ages of 20 and 40. MS is a disease that influences nerve cells in the spinal chord and brain. In a healthy body, nerve cells send messages to the brain and the rest of the body so we can move, feel, hear and see. With MS, the immune system of the body attacks the nerve cells so that they cannot function accordingly (Multiple Sclerosis…, 2008). A huge way to treat MS is with stem cell based therapy. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (2007) believes that there is evidence of important benefits to people with MS through stem cell research. Stem cells are part of the body’s usual repair system; they constantly make new cells to replace ones that die. It may be possible to use certain types of stem cells to “reset” the immune system to prevent it from attacking the nerve cells. In the future, scientists hope that stem cells might be able to re-grow nerves that have been lost (Multiple Sclerosis…, 2008). Using stem cells to treat a disease like MS causes some controversy. This is because some stem cells used are embryonic stem cells. And to receive embryonic stem cells they require the destruction of the embryo, which some people see as the destruction of a human being (National MS Society, 2009). The issue comes down to the question of when life really starts and if it is worth helping someone with a horrible disease.
Works Cited

Multiple sclerosis: how could stem cells help (2008) Stem cell research. Retrieved from http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/multiple-sclerosis-how-could-stem-cells-help

The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (2013) Retrieved from http://www.msif.org/ The

Cited: Multiple sclerosis: how could stem cells help (2008) Stem cell research. Retrieved from http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/multiple-sclerosis-how-could-stem-cells-help The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (2013) Retrieved from http://www.msif.org/ The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (2007) MS Society of Canada - Research We Fund Retrieved from http://mssociety.ca/en/research/researchprojects.htm National MS Society (2009). Embryonic Stem Cell Research Retrieved from http://www.nationalmssociety.org/