Italy approves controversial stem cell therapy law
Source: AFP |
May 23, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
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ITALIAN lawmakers yesterday gave their final approval to a law that allows limited use of a controversial type of stem cell therapy which has been condemned by many scientists but has given hope to families of terminally ill children.
The law gives the go-ahead for therapy being carried out by the Stamina Foundation on dozens of patients to continue, and allows for an 18-month period of clinical trials for the procedure, which had previously been blocked by Italian authorities.
The bill was amended from an earlier version and states the therapy must be carried out under regulatory oversight and using cells made according to the Good Manufacturing Practice, which the Stamina Foundation didn't follow.
The Stamina Foundation says its treatment is based on mesenchymal stem cells and could treat diseases like spinal cord injury and motor neurone disease.
But leading scientists have warned there is no evidence to suggest the treatment could work and no way to know it will not cause harm.
The association Stem Cell Research Italy has branded the new law as "unacceptable" saying the therapy was not backed up by clinical data published in peer-reviewed academic journals.
US journal Nature said it was a "rogue" therapy.
Patients lobbied for the therapy to be given the go-ahead.
The law gives the go-ahead for therapy being carried out by the Stamina Foundation on dozens of patients to continue, and allows for an 18-month period of clinical trials for the procedure, which had previously been blocked by Italian authorities.
The bill was amended from an earlier version and states the therapy must be carried out under regulatory oversight and using cells made according to the Good Manufacturing Practice, which the Stamina Foundation didn't follow.
The Stamina Foundation says its treatment is based on mesenchymal stem cells and could treat diseases like spinal cord injury and motor neurone disease.
But leading scientists have warned there is no evidence to suggest the treatment could work and no way to know it will not cause harm.
The association Stem Cell Research Italy has branded the new law as "unacceptable" saying the therapy was not backed up by clinical data published in peer-reviewed academic journals.
US journal Nature said it was a "rogue" therapy.
Patients lobbied for the therapy to be given the go-ahead.
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