Stem cells are a special type of cell in our bodies.
They provide new cells for the body as it grows.
They also replace specialised body cells if they become damaged or are lost.
Learn more about stem cells here.
Stem cells can:
- Divide many times over to make new cells
- Change into other types of cells in the body.
The figure below shows some of the body cells that stem cells can change into.
How are stem cells used?
Stem cells may be used in many ways. They are most commonly used for research and as treatment for certain health conditions.
Medical research
- Stem cell research is complex but great progress has been made in recent years.
- Scientists are learning how to take any cell from a person’s body (e.g. a skin cell), and turn it into another type of cell (e.g. a brain cell).
- This can help researchers understand more about:
- The person’s specific condition, such as epilepsy
- Which drugs may be helpful to treat conditions such as epilepsy.
Medical therapies using stem cells
- In Australia, the only proven, safe and effective therapy using stem cells is for certain immune or blood conditions, such as leukaemia (a type of blood cancer).
Safety of stem cell therapies
In Australia, all stem cell treatments need to be approved by the regulatory organisation, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA is concerned that unproven stem cell treatments are being offered in Australia and overseas.
There are many risks of unproven stem cell treatments:
- They can cause long-term health problems or even death
- Travelling for treatment may mean missing out on current supports and specialist medical care
- Using unproven and unregulated stem cell treatments may mean that an individual cannot join (is disqualified from) future approved and registered clinical trials
- Travelling to a centre offering unproven stem cell treatments can be very expensive.
What this means is…
At this time, stem cells are being used to study – but not treat – genetic epilepsy in Australia.
Resources:
- You can find more about stem cell treatments at the TGA website ‘A quick guide for consumers’.
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance has created a series of short educational videos on the science behind stem cells, available here.
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Content on this page was generated via the GenE Compass project. The following article provides more information about the project:
- Robertson EG, Kelada L, Best S, Goranitis, I, Grainger N, Le Marne F, Pierce K, Nevin, SM, Macintosh R, Beavis E, Sachdev R, Bye A, Palmer EE. (2022). Acceptability and feasibility of an online information linker service for caregivers who have a child with genetic epilepsy: a mixed-method pilot study protocol. BMJ Open, 12:e063249. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063249