December 3, 2007
By DOUGLAS JORDAN
Beike Biotech is a China-based company that has made national news
in this country for its innovative new treatments offering hope to
patients previously considered beyond the capability of a medical
cure. Many American patients have gone overseas to Beike for
treatments not available in the U.S.
Those treatments involve the use of stem cells, which can
potentially be used to repair and replace damaged human tissue. Stem
cell research and treatment is legally limited in this country due
to political and philosophical debate.
However, most of the debate revolves around the use of embryonic
stem cells, which are obtained from human embryos and often result
in the loss of the donor embryo. Beike uses stem cells obtained from
the blood of umbilical cords from live births, material that has
historically been discarded as medical waste.
"By using cord stem cells, it takes the controversy out of the
process," said Carol Petersen, whose grandson, Cameron, received the
treatment in September. "I'm an advocate for this now, and I think
we need to build a government-funded, for the public, cord blood
bank."
Petersen said that Cameron's treatment was "extremely successful"
and that the results were better than she had anticipated.
"He could not see at all before this procedure," she said. "Now, he
sees and recognizes faces, and responds to visual stimulation from
up to two feet away.
"We won't know the full extent of the improvement until he is old
enough to communicate better, but it's clear that it's a miraculous
difference."
In addition to ONH, Beike has used stem cells to treat other
conditions, such as Alzheimer's, ataxia, autism, ALS, brain trauma,
cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral palsy, Guillain-
Barre, encephalatropy and spinal cord injury.
Some in the U.S. medical community have been skeptical about the new
treatments. However, Kirshner Ross-Vaden, vice president of foreign
patient relations for Beike Biotech, said that 86 out of 100 foreign
patients with spinal cord injury have improved, such as regaining
control of bowel movements and being able to sense hot and cold.
"The doctors who actually have experience in this field, and who
know something about what stem cells can do, have been very
supportive," Ross-Vaden said. "Because what we do is new, it's bound
to arouse some criticism, and there's nothing wrong with that."
Dr. Shalesh Kaushal is a professor of opthalmology at the University
of Florida's Vitreoretinal Service and director of the UF Retina
Service. He has worked extensively with research involving stem
cells taken from bone marrow.
"From what I've seen so far of what Beike Biotech is doing, I would
say that I am cautiously optimistic," Kaushal said. "There appears
to be no overt danger to the patient from this procedure, and stem
cells have shown an ability to rejuvenate or regenerate tissue."
Kaushal also said that umbilical cord blood banks are becoming more
prevalent in the U.S., and that many doctors advocate that parents
save their children's cord blood in these banks.
He said that foreign medicine is not backward, as some people in
this country seem to think.
"Many of them are better clinicians than those trained in the U.S.,"
he said. "Because they simply see more patients. If you have a
billion people in your country, how can you not have more
experience?"
Dr. David Klein, a Port Charlotte ophthalmologist who has also
studied the procedure, said what he's seen of Beike's work has been
very good.
"From what I've seen, this is not some fly-by-night operation," he
said. "There's a lot of good science behind what they're doing. I
think they're on the brink of some wonderful things."
Beike was founded in 2005 with funding from Beijing University, Hong
Kong University of Science and Technology and the City of Shenzhen.
It is also supported by the China State National Fund. Beike
supplies stem cells for treatment at 11 hospitals in China and one
in Thailand.
There is no surgery involved in most of the treatments, which were
pioneered in part by Ross-Vaden, who is a nurse and medical
researcher. Stem cells, sometimes in the millions, are delivered
through intravenous injections into the spinal cord fluid. In some
cases of spinal cord injury, surgical injections are necessary.
As of Oct. 15, Beike had treated more than 2,000 patients with stem
cell injections for diseases.
"Beike's greatest strength, and what differentiates it from other
research groups, is that Beike specializes in clinical
applications,
around the world who could have a better quality of life and live
longer with this technology, but they don't have the chance because
of politics, religion and bureaucracy.
Ross-Vaden said China is the leader in stem cell research.
"The Chinese government is pouring billions of dollars into
research," she said. "They court doctors from other countries to
come to China."
While they do not track the exact number of Americans who leave the
country for stem cell injections. Ross-Vaden estimates the number to
be "hundreds per year and growing."
For people such as Petersen, and St. Augustine's Rylee Lovett, Beike
offers hope.
Klein said that eventually this form of treatment should be
available in the U.S.
"What you want to do is get away from the political debate and let
the science take over," Klein said. "Because the bottom line is that
the medical community is here to help people get better."
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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