The real deal with stem cell therapy in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines - Recent years have seen a boom in the number of stem cell clinics opening to the public in the Philippines to cure this-and-that disorder, to make one look and feel young again, and even to add years to one’s life. However, there is a big difference between these “magic potions” offered by unscrupulous clinics and the real scientific approach to stem cell therapy.
Regenerative medicine is an emerging branch of modern or molecular medicine that aims to repair organs or tissues damaged by disease, aging, or trauma, in the hopes of restoring function and improving one’s quality of life. Stem cells are considered to be the “master cells” of the body, because they have the ability to develop into different kinds of cells in our body — nerve, brain, muscle, cartilage, bone, blood, fat, and others. Furthermore, there are many different kinds of stem cells, depending on the organ of the body they were obtained from.
Stem cell therapy, then, is the use of these cells to replace or support one’s degenerating tissues and organs. It is important to stress, however, that stem cells do not absolutely cure genetic, degenerative, or developmental disorders; they mostly reduce debilitating symptoms and preserve or improve the quality of life and well-being of patients. Many kinds of diseases are being treated by stem cell therapy in clinical trials abroad, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and complications caused by aging and other diseases.
The Cellular Therapeutics Center (CTC) of Makati Medical Center is one facility that has the capacity to grow stem cells and use them in the most scientifically-sound manner available to patients. It is a Clean Room ISO Class V facility, the first of its kind in the Philippines — this means that the air is cleaned and filtered so strictly that less than 100 particles are allowed in every cubic foot of space in the laboratories. Furthermore, the CTC observes US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) sterility standards and is an active member of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT), a professional association that provides scientific and technical support for laboratories engaged in cellular therapy. It is also actively engaged in prospective clinical trials with US-based companies.
All cells in the CTC are handled under the most stringent, aseptic (germ-free) procedures and techniques, performed by board-certified medical consultants, and are processed by highly-skilled and trained scientists, and delivered by competent and compassionate healthcare staff. The CTC also serves as home to the only CliniMACS in the Philippines — a US FDA-approved device from Germany, which allows the laboratory to isolate millions to hundreds of millions of cells with more than 90-percent purity, a very important process in experimental therapies.
The CTC holds patient safety as its top priority, and so only uses autologous cells — meaning “from the patient” — to prevent complications and transplant rejection. MakatiMed puts the patients first before anything else by requiring eligibility screening of patients, conducting a sound ethical review by clinical specialists of different fields, and fully educating patients on all aspects of stem cell therapy — including its cost, potential benefits, and possible risks. Lastly, in line with MakatiMed’s core ideals, the CTC values transparency by providing full disclosure regarding cellular status, characteristics, and quality of its patients.
The CTC anticipates the accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH) and recognizes the three approved clinical uses of stem cell therapy, namely hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, skin regeneration using epidermal stem cells, and corneal resurfacing with limbal cells. There are, however, a rising number of clinical trials being performed abroad using stem cells and other cells for rejuvenation therapy as well as for diseases like Parkinson’s disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, cerebellar degeneration, cardiomyopathy, and stroke. Because stem cell therapy for these other diseases remains investigative and innovative in nature, MakatiMed may offer stem cell therapy as an option for compassionate use if it is truly in the best interest of the patient.
With the growing fad and commercialization of stem cell therapy today, it is fairly easy to be deceived. Despite numerous advertisements across different media, it’s best to keep in mind that stem cell therapy remains to be a scientific process, not a magic potion that comes in a beautifully packaged and exorbitantly marketed bottle.
