Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stem cell (SC) therapies hold remarkable promise for many diseases, but there is a significant gulf between public expectations and the reality of progress toward clinical application. Public expectations are fueled by stakeholder ar...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/133 |
| _version_ | 1818351534510964736 |
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| author | Bubela Tania Li Matthew D Hafez Mohamed Bieber Mark Atkins Harold |
| author_facet | Bubela Tania Li Matthew D Hafez Mohamed Bieber Mark Atkins Harold |
| author_sort | Bubela Tania |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stem cell (SC) therapies hold remarkable promise for many diseases, but there is a significant gulf between public expectations and the reality of progress toward clinical application. Public expectations are fueled by stakeholder arguments for research and public funding, coupled with intense media coverage in an ethically charged arena. We examine media representations in light of the expanding global landscape of SC clinical trials, asking what patients may realistically expect by way of timelines for the therapeutic and curative potential of regenerative medicine?</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We built 2 international datasets: (1) 3,404 clinical trials (CT) containing 'stem cell*' from ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Search Portal; and (2) 13,249 newspaper articles on SC therapies using Factiva.com. We compared word frequencies between the CT descriptions and full-text newspaper articles for the number containing terms for SC type and diseases/conditions. We also developed inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify novel SC CTs, mainly regenerative medicine applications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Newspaper articles focused on human embryonic SCs and neurological conditions with significant coverage as well of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In contrast, CTs used primarily hematopoietic SCs, with an increase in CTs using mesenchymal SCs since 2007. The latter dominated our novel classification for CTs, most of which are in phases I and II. From the perspective of the public, expecting therapies for neurological conditions, there is limited activity in what may be considered novel applications of SC therapies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Given the research, regulatory, and commercialization hurdles to the clinical translation of SC research, it seems likely that patients and political supporters will become disappointed and disillusioned. In this environment, proponents need to make a concerted effort to temper claims. Even though the field is highly promising, it lacks significant private investment and is largely reliant on public support, requiring a more honest acknowledgement of the expected therapeutic benefits and the timelines to achieving them.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:39:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a4a3fe353814d99920d0877e6df6298 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1741-7015 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:39:16Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a4a3fe353814d99920d0877e6df62982022-12-21T23:35:16ZengBMCBMC Medicine1741-70152012-11-0110113310.1186/1741-7015-10-133Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell researchBubela TaniaLi Matthew DHafez MohamedBieber MarkAtkins Harold<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stem cell (SC) therapies hold remarkable promise for many diseases, but there is a significant gulf between public expectations and the reality of progress toward clinical application. Public expectations are fueled by stakeholder arguments for research and public funding, coupled with intense media coverage in an ethically charged arena. We examine media representations in light of the expanding global landscape of SC clinical trials, asking what patients may realistically expect by way of timelines for the therapeutic and curative potential of regenerative medicine?</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We built 2 international datasets: (1) 3,404 clinical trials (CT) containing 'stem cell*' from ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Search Portal; and (2) 13,249 newspaper articles on SC therapies using Factiva.com. We compared word frequencies between the CT descriptions and full-text newspaper articles for the number containing terms for SC type and diseases/conditions. We also developed inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify novel SC CTs, mainly regenerative medicine applications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Newspaper articles focused on human embryonic SCs and neurological conditions with significant coverage as well of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In contrast, CTs used primarily hematopoietic SCs, with an increase in CTs using mesenchymal SCs since 2007. The latter dominated our novel classification for CTs, most of which are in phases I and II. From the perspective of the public, expecting therapies for neurological conditions, there is limited activity in what may be considered novel applications of SC therapies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Given the research, regulatory, and commercialization hurdles to the clinical translation of SC research, it seems likely that patients and political supporters will become disappointed and disillusioned. In this environment, proponents need to make a concerted effort to temper claims. Even though the field is highly promising, it lacks significant private investment and is largely reliant on public support, requiring a more honest acknowledgement of the expected therapeutic benefits and the timelines to achieving them.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/133stem cell therapyclinical trialspublic expectationsnewspaper coveragecommercializationethics |
| spellingShingle | Bubela Tania Li Matthew D Hafez Mohamed Bieber Mark Atkins Harold Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research BMC Medicine stem cell therapy clinical trials public expectations newspaper coverage commercialization ethics |
| title | Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| title_full | Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| title_fullStr | Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| title_short | Is belief larger than fact: expectations, optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| title_sort | is belief larger than fact expectations optimism and reality for translational stem cell research |
| topic | stem cell therapy clinical trials public expectations newspaper coverage commercialization ethics |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/133 |
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