Thailand to conduct tests on stem cells

Thailand will carry out an experiment on the efficacy and safety of stem cell technology in curing heart disease, the first-ever official test on stem cell treatment on humans, local media reported on Sunday.

The program, to be conducted on 40 patients with heart symptoms, will be joined by the Department of Medical Sciences, Mahidol University and the Cardiac Institute of Thailand.

Pongpan Vongmanee, deputy chief of the Medical Sciences Department, said Thailand has no official report about possible consequences from this new medical technology. The test results will be a concrete guideline for drawing up an effective plan for stem cell development.

The test will last for two months and it would take at least one year for the research team to reach a conclusion on the effectiveness of stem cell treatment as it would need to follow up the conditions of the patients who undergo the test, he was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

Pongpan believed that within next five years, Thailand will make a lot of progress in the field of stem cell technology.

Although the government just started to officially study stem cell treatment, private hospitals have already provided the treatment without waiting for the test results.

Pakdee Pothisiri, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said his department has been drafting a law to control imports and exports of stem cells to ensure safety.

He said regulations concerning stem cell treatment would need to undergo public hearings when the drafting process is completed in June, since it is a fresh new medical field for Thailand.

Apart from heart disease, stem cells could also serve as a regenerative medicine for other diseases such as diabetes and brain disorders.

Source: Xinhua