Published online Mar 26, 2020. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i3.168
Peer-review started: October 21, 2019
First decision: December 26, 2019
Revised: February 13, 2020
Accepted: March 1, 2020
Article in press: March 1, 2020
Published online: March 26, 2020
Processing time: 156 Days and 13.5 Hours
The treatment of neurodegenerative diseases presents a growing need for innovation in relation to recent evidence in the field of reconstructive therapy using stem cells. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders, and the advent of methods able to induce neuronal stem cell differentiation allowed to develop innovative therapeutic approaches offering the prospect of healthy and perfectly functional cell transplants, able to replace the sick ones. Hence the importance of deepening the state of the art regarding the clinical applications of advanced cell therapy products for the regeneration of nerve tissue. Besides representing a promising area of tissue transplant surgery and a great achievement in the field of neurodegenerative disease, stem cell research presents certain critical issues that need to be carefully examined from the ethical perspective. In fact, a subject so complex and not entirely explored requires a detailed scientific and ethical evaluation aimed at avoiding improper and ineffective use, rather than incorrect indications, technical inadequacies, and incongruous expectations. In fact, the clinical usefulness of stem cells will only be certain if able to provide the patient with safe, long-term and substantially more effective strategies than any other treatment available. The present paper provides an ethical assessment of tissue regeneration through mesenchymal stem cells in neurodegenerative diseases with the aim to rule out the fundamental issues related to research and clinical translation.
Core tip: Neurodegenerative diseases constitute a set of pathologies affecting the central nervous system whose main characteristic is a chronic and selective process of neuronal cell death. The study of stem cells and the advent of new methods able to induce neuronal differentiation, is having a significant impact in this sense in recent years, offering the prospect of transplanting healthy and perfectly functional cells, able to replace those diseased. The objective the present paper is to contribute to the construction of an ethical framework that allows a close monitoring of the scientific activity in the experimental and translational fields.