Cuba not shying away from stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy has been in the news a lot lately; new advancements are taking the controversy out of this progressing for of treatment, but while some countries have shied away from the incorporation of stem cells into medical treatment, Cuba is embracing the process. According to a report from Hispanically Speaking News, more than 5,000 patients have been treated with stem cells since it’s introduction to the country some ten years ago.

Of those patients, the majority have received stem cells to help treat severe ischemia in the lower limbs and other angiological illnesses. Beyond that, stem cells are widely used in the country for trauma medicine, and it was in 2004 the first tissue regeneration associated with stem cells was seen successfully in Cuba.

Many countries have embraced stem cell therapy
The use of stem cell therapy in Cuba is not a surprise; many countries around the world have embraced this viable form of tissue treatment. The United States has been slow on the uptake when it comes to stem cells, however, much of the reluctance associated with the original controversy surrounding how stem cells were obtained.

In the early days of stem cell research, the only way to obtain embryonic stem cells was to harvest them from donated embryos. Not surprisingly, this practice did not sit well with certain pro-life groups, and for many years embryonic stem cell research –and stem cell research in general– was shunned.

Just this year, however, researchers have found a way to create embryonic stem cells without the need of an actual embryo. This new technology may allow the United States to be as unrestricted in stem cell therapy use as many other countries already are. The advancement may also provide even more opportunities for Cuba to become a health leader in this area of medical expertise. Currently, manyprofessional athletes and celebrities travel outside of the United States for stem cell treatment, offering other nations the opportunity to improve revenue related to stem cells.