With the advent of regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy has become popular over the world in the past ten years. Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional, or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. Its advantages are different from traditional medicine and surgical treatment. Stem cell achieves curative effect by improving symptoms, delaying the progression of disease, or removing the affected area. Regenerative medicine uses the regenerative ability of stem cells to repair or replace damaged cells and achieve self-repair of tissues. It is a therapy that gives cells a chance to regenerate.
Although stem cell therapy has the above advantages, cell therapy still faces many challenges a. The quality of stem cells is affected by many factors such as isolation, culture methods, and donors c. Furthermore, stem cell transplant patients may face immune rejection and complications; its clinical efficacy was not significant compared with expectations. Stem cell therapy is divided into autologous transplantation or allogeneic transplantation. In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient's own stem cells for the transplant. For allogeneic transplantation, it involves transferring the stem cells from a healthy person (the donor) to the patient’s body. The antigen matching must be confirmed before allogeneic transplantation. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) passed the amended "Regulations Governing the Application or Use of Specific Medical Techniques or Examinations, or Medical Devices". For the allowance scope of cell therapy programs, it mainly allows six areas of autologous cell therapy program while adopting strict review of allogeneic cells. The primary focus of cell therapy is still on safety. Six areas of autologous cell therapy program have been implemented in foreign countries and confirmed low risk. It may take a long time to extend stem cell therapy to multiple indications. Moreover, because stem cell therapy is complicated, labor-intensive, and personalized medical service, the cost of treatment is expensive. Economic factors may play a major role for patients.
Although stem cell therapy has the above advantages, cell therapy still faces many challenges a. The quality of stem cells is affected by many factors such as isolation, culture methods, and donors c. Furthermore, stem cell transplant patients may face immune rejection and complications; its clinical efficacy was not significant compared with expectations. Stem cell therapy is divided into autologous transplantation or allogeneic transplantation. In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient's own stem cells for the transplant. For allogeneic transplantation, it involves transferring the stem cells from a healthy person (the donor) to the patient’s body. The antigen matching must be confirmed before allogeneic transplantation. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) passed the amended "Regulations Governing the Application or Use of Specific Medical Techniques or Examinations, or Medical Devices". For the allowance scope of cell therapy programs, it mainly allows six areas of autologous cell therapy program while adopting strict review of allogeneic cells. The primary focus of cell therapy is still on safety. Six areas of autologous cell therapy program have been implemented in foreign countries and confirmed low risk. It may take a long time to extend stem cell therapy to multiple indications. Moreover, because stem cell therapy is complicated, labor-intensive, and personalized medical service, the cost of treatment is expensive. Economic factors may play a major role for patients.
- 臺灣醫界；62卷12期 (2019 / 12 / 01)，P13 - 22