CELL AND GENE THERAPY – The Yin and Yang of Chinese Medicine
MADRID .- The research on regenerative medicine and stem cells ‘Made in China’ is the fastest growing in the world. The figures indicate that only the U.S. can compete with China in this field in which increasingly becomes more important. The dark side of the coin are the dozens of clinics that offer treatments of doubtful efficacy and safety exploiting the weakness of Chinese law.
In 2000, Chinese scientists published a total of 37 articles on regenerative medicine in leading scientific journals. In 2008, China exported by studies amounted to 1,116, making this country the fifth most knowledge brings to this field. The calculation is simple and the 1,652, 1,460 and 1308 articles published by Germany, Japan and the UK seem an easy mark to beat for the Chinese. Only Americans, with 6,000, are currently at a safe distance.China has everything ahead. It has an army of scientists each year their ranks swelled by 400,000 new graduates, as well as researchers trained abroad after returning each year recruited by universities, institutes and private companies. It is particularly evident in the regenerative medicine sector in which the Chinese government has made every effort, where virtually 100% of experts has started his career across the Pacific.
Money equal to discoveries
This is one of the conclusions of an article published in the journal Regenerative Medicine “in which a group of Canadian researchers analyzed the situation of this sector of medicine that are in high hopes” in China. From interviews with several experts from different institutions and disciplines, a review of the literature and own observations of the authors, they paint a competitive China.
This body of work has the support of the heavy investment that the authorities have made in R & D, which rose from 4.848 million dollars in 1996 to 42.516 million in the last year. “The stem cell research, tissue engineering and gene therapy are key priorities for funding,” says the article.
These factors have resulted in 25 lines of human embryonic stem cells bearing the signatures’ Made in China “, reprogramming the first cell of a nonhuman gametes should be developed in Xinhua Hospital (Shanghai) Company Sibiono or sell in 2004 world’s first gene therapy, among many other accomplishments.
Lack of control, lack of credibility
But despite the potential of regenerative medicine, China, the news coming out of this country do not enjoy the blessing of the scientific community. One problem lies in the looseness of the legislation, which has allowed “certain genetic therapies were marketed too quickly, without sufficient evidence of its benefits over existing treatments”, as some interviewees expressed.
Moreover, in some cases even their safety is guaranteed. For example, injections of stem cells for ataxia (uncoordinated movements), multiple sclerosis or optic nerve damage that offers Beike Biotechnology Inc., the largest distributor of such therapies in the country. According to his data, they have treated some 5,000 patients, 900 of them foreigners.
The ease with which they have implemented treatments for Parkinson’s, cerebral and spinal injury, cerebral palsy, stroke, etc.., Has given China a competitive advantage against other countries, allowing them to prove techniques in humans than in other places on earth have not passed the laboratory.
However, it also has earned him some notoriety among the scientific community. Knowing the situation, the Chinese Government promulgated in May 2009 a new legal framework for stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Laws will not be able to restore confidence in Chinese medicine unless they are strictly observed.
Tags:
lol a few of the reviews people put up make me giggle, over and over i ask myself whether they honestly read the post and content before posting or whether or not they only just read over the title of the post and post the first thing that drifts into their minds. anyhow, it really is pleasing to look over intelligent commentary every now and then compared to the same exact, classic post vomit that i mainly observe on the web
Hi, Good content throughout the site. This post is probably where I got the most useful information for my information gathering. Thanks for posting, maybe we can see more on this. I also like this layout can you tell me where to get it?