Cost of Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is not that common--about 400,000 Americans are affected by it. But it is very noticeable to observers and extremely so to the patient. It gradually, and sometimes in a matter of a few years, “takes over” a patient’s coordination, speech, thinking--reducing these to tremors, slurring and confusion. Although medical science has made some progress in helping patients cope with this disease, it is incurable. At least so far. With stem cell therapy, perhaps a cure is near. But at what cost?

Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment

• In laboratories around the world, stem cell projects number in the thousands.

  Stem cell scientists concluded that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent: They can become any other cell in the body. Although ESCs seem ideal for treatment, researchers have discovered many drawbacks. They are cultured from blastocytes, balls of cells derived from embryos that had been developed in a laboratory, not a woman’s body. A patient’s body might reject them as foreign cells. Scientists are a long way from knowing if this is so, and how to get around such rejection. On January 23, 2009, the FDA approved first phase-1 clinic trials on ESCs.

Adult (Somatic) Stem Cell Treatments

• Many scientists weren’t enthusiastic at first about adult stem cells. They thought these cells were too limiting in differentiating themselves into other types of cells. But new discoveries may be solving this problem. It was also difficult to produce them in large enough quantities from the body’s tissue. This too is being solved.

Progress of Foreign Clinics

• Foreign clinics and doctors are not under FDA-supervision, although some might be under their own country’s “FDA.” Nor do they have “secrets” that are not available to the medical community around the world. So how do they convince thousands of patients to come to them? First, they seem to be getting some astounding results, although support for these are mainly testimonials. Second, techniques for basic stem cell treatment are already developed. That treatment in many clinics involves extracting bone marrow or blood from the patient’s body, isolating the stem cells and multiplying them. Then these cells are injected back into the body in various ways. Some clinics are sophisticated; others are rudimentary.

Costs for Foreign Clinics

• You cannot judge clinics by their prices. A sophisticated clinic in Germany charges $10,000 to $20,000, while ones in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador charge from $12,000 to $65,000. Some foreign clinics are managed by medical personnel in the USA, and their fees are between $17,000 and $30,000. China’s clinics offer treatments for between $12,000 and $35,000, and Mexico’s are between $15,000 and $25,000. Almost all these clinics offer autologous stem cell treatment. Those are cells extracted from your own body, then isolated and multiplied before being reinjected. The two that offer embryonic stem cells are in China and Ukraine. China’s clinic charges $22,000. Ukraine’s charge is $18,750 with travel expenses included.

Your Decision

• Is the price worth it?" The website for "Popular Science," June 2010, explores this question. The medical establishment generally will say no--and there are risks involved. But there are doctors and other medical people who will say it’s worth considering, especially if your condition is rapidly getting worse. But consider it carefully. Choose the clinic wisely. Consult with others. Check out the qualifications of the personnel, verify their results, talk to their former patients where possible. And accept the fact that there are no guarantees.