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| St. Charles Man Finds Hope in Dealing with MS from Stem-cell Treatment in China |
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| Multiple Sclerosis | |||
| Sonntag, 12. August 2007 um 08:00 Uhr | |||
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There are no translations available. Source: Daily Herald BY Josh Stockinger There are 15 steps on the carpeted staircase that curves through Dave Ozzello's two-story house. Each one is an obstacle the 51-year-old St. Charles man must face each day. Ozzello's right leg muscle, deteriorated after 31 years of multiple sclerosis, refuses to cooperate as he begins his morning descent from the bedroom to the kitchen. His hands find assurance in the wall and handrail, which keep him steady when imbalance and fatigue set in. "Falling is something you get used to," he says. Ozzello has done what he can to combat this disease and lead a normal life. He gave up red meat 23 years ago as part of a new, healthier diet. He grew to stomach a seaweed health drink he once found repellant. He exercises daily and takes prescription drugs. Yet his condition continues to worsen. Now, Ozzello is finding new hope on the other side of the globe, in Hangzhou, China. There, he will be injected this month with 40 million stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood. The experimental treatment is not yet available in the United States, but doctors here say it looks promising. Ozzello is counting on it. "We know it's not a cure," he said, his wife Karen at his side. "We're looking to buy time." 'It makes sense' Ozzello's hope hinges on research that suggests cord blood stem cells are particularly useful in treating auto-immune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes and lymphoma, where the body essentially attacks itself. While the cells haven't been shown to cure these conditions, some medical experts believe they are capable of at least slowing symptoms by replacing damaged cells with ones capable of new growth. "Theoretically, it makes sense," said Dr. Dusan Stefoski, director of Rush University Medical Center's MS center in Chicago. "We are still in the early stages of thinking about it, but this likely will evolve into something bigger." In contrast to embryonic stem cells, there appears to be far less debate over the use of cells harvested from umbilical cords, which are typically discarded after birth. Research and treatment surrounding umbilical cord blood stem cells are also supported by organizations that oppose embryonic stem cell use, such as the Family Research Council, a conservative non-profit that lobbies in Washington, D.C. "No. 1, you don't have the controversy and debate you do with embryonic (cells)," said David Prentice, a former Indiana State University medical school professor and the family council's senior fellow for life sciences. "No. 2, it's working. We're already seeing the results." Stefoski knows of only two to four patients who sought treatment abroad, where there is less medical regulation than in the U.S. For now, he said, the use of cord blood stem cells is considered experimental here, and research is limited mostly to animals. However, doctors are hopeful it eventually will be key in treating a variety of diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. "I'm sure the list will expand as we know more," Stefoski said. Expectations Ozzello's upcoming treatment consists of a three-week hospital stay, during which he will receive four injections - at least one directly to the spinal cord - of about 10 million cells each. He also will receive acupuncture and intense physical therapy, where doctors will "train" his new cells. The treatment is far more aggressive than two previous times Ozzello received 1.5 million umbilical cord stem cells during trips to Mexico. After the first trip in 2005, Ozzello said his symptoms were relieved for about two years. "It was the energy level," Karen Ozzello said. "Gone were the naps."Though doctors caution against pinning too much hope to the treatment, Ozzello has expectations he admits are probably "greater than what will happen." "My expectation is to be able to walk a city block," he says. "I want to be able to walk out in the morning and get the newspaper without a brace or a cane." Ozzello sought counsel from his priest before deciding to go through the treatment the first time, he said. Because it is considered experimental, Ozzello, who runs a medical supply company out of his home, will dig into his own pockets to cover the $19,500 price tag. That's on top of the $21,000 and $7,000 he spent on the last two Mexico trips. The gravity of the situation is not lost on him. "Desperate people do desperate things," Ozzello says. "I am a desperate person."
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| Zuletzt aktualisiert am Mittwoch, 15. August 2007 um 00:35 Uhr |