Are ES cell treatments currently available for patients?
Not yet. ES cell research is a new field. Human ES cells were first isolated in 1998 and SCNT was first performed with human cells in 2001. It takes years to do the basic research, animal studies and human trials needed to develop and test any new medical treatments and get them approved for general use by doctors and patients. However, a number of encouraging animal studies have already been conducted. And, recently medical researchers in the U.S. and Great Britain submitted the first applications to use SCNT to make ES cells that match a patient’s genetic makeup. This planned research involves patients who have degenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s, diabetes and ALS. It’s possible that ES cell cures for some diseases and injuries could become available within the next five to 10 years. Others could take longer to develop. Voter approval of the Stem Cell Amendment ensures that Missouri patients will have access to new ES cell cures as soon as they are approved for use in the U.
