The ability of stem cells to reproduce any tissue of the human organism has placed high expectations in the scientific community and the possibility of having a better life. Yesterday, the program "The thematic night" of the Spanish Television 2 aired the program "Stem cells, a new hope", dedicated to this exciting topic.
It was a very interesting program, with three documentaries that approach the issue of embryonic cells, achievements and risks, controversies due to medical advances in this field, the conservation of umbilical cord cells of the newborn ...
From the TVE website you can see a summary introduction of the three documentaries, with interesting facts about each topic, which can arouse the curiosity of anyone who has ever considered the effectiveness of these new medical procedures.
"The source of life" It is dedicated to the birth of the first baby medicine in Spain, which at the same time was an open door to the hope of many families with sick children, in some sectors it was a debate about the legitimacy of the genetic selection of embryos. This is the case of Andrés, 7, who has overcome the severe congenital anemia he suffered thanks to a transplant of his brother's umbilical cord blood, which has allowed him to regenerate his bone marrow. We also know that one of the most successful cell therapies in our country is the one carried out at the Hospital de La Paz in Madrid, which may lead to the first European medicine from adult fat stem cells.
"My father, my brother and I" It is the documentary dedicated to Parkinson's disease, its origins that remain unknown, although it has a strong genetic component. The correspondent Dave Iverson narrates in first person his own diagnosis of Parkinson's that was discovered several years ago and that his father and brother have also suffered. Iverson undertakes a personal journey to understand an incurable degenerative neurological disease. Could it be one of the diseases with the days counted thanks to the stem cells? The conversations of Iverson with the most important scientists contribute new data on the controversial investigation with embryonic stem cells.
"Stem cells, a vital cord", perhaps it is the most interesting documentary, although I could not see it completely (it is understood, at that time of the morning). It tells us about the boom in the umbilical cord stem cell business: more and more private companies are offering their service to store them. But for some doctors, personal storage is meaningless. For its part, the cosmetic industry has already appropriated stem cells as a new source of youth or an alternative to surgery, despite the risks of these products from generating cancer. There are professionals who claim that they are an easy way to get money, with little effectiveness, or who point out the danger of stimulating stem cells that are not yet developed ...
Anyway, The thematic night dedicated to stem cells He gave a lot of himself and you can see fragments on the RTVE website for anyone who is interested in the subject. I will be attentive in case he joins the "television on demand" so I can see it completely.
