Stem Cell Therapy in the Philippines

Watching Boy Abunda’s "The Bottomline" made me more curious about stem cell therapy. I’ve been hearing about this but never really took the time to dig deeper on what it really is. Urologist Dr. Dante Dator of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute is a very effective resource person.

What is it about stem cell therapy that convinced known personalities like former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to undergo the procedure? Does it really slow down aging? How effective it is? Is it the most effective cure for serious illnesses such as HIV and cancer?

"Stem cell treatments are a type of intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury. Many medical researchers believe that stem cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease and alleviate suffering. The ability of stem cells to self-renew and give rise to subsequent generations with variable degrees of differentiation capacities, offers significant potential for generation of tissues that can potentially replace diseased and damaged areas in the body, with minimal risk of rejection and side effects."

Stem Cell Therapy is becoming widely available in the Philippines. The country will also become the headquarter of stem cell therapy and research hub of Asia with the opening of the Asian Regenerative Center for Cellular Therapies (ARCCT) in September this year.

It is also said that “the ARCCT will be a pioneer and a leader in medical research and innovations, immune and stem cell research and therapies, and in wellness and anti-aging programs. The research and therapies of the ARCCT will serve to advance knowledge of cellular regeneration medicine in Asia and the rest of the world.”

Stem cell therapy potential treatments:

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Autism
• Breast Augmentation
• Cerebral Palsy
• Cosmetic Rejuvenation
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Diabetes
• Epstein-Barr
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Face Lift
• Glaucoma
• Hair Transplantation
• Hearing Loss
• Heart Disease
• Hepatitis
• Huntington's Disease
• Kidney Failure
• Knee Injuries
• Liver Disease
• Lupus
• Macular Degeneration
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Optic Nerve Injuries
• Osteoarthritis
• Parkinson's Disease
• Pulmonary Fibrosis, Emphysema, COPD
• Retinitis Pigmentosa
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Sports Injuries and Torn Ligaments
• Stroke

Stem cell therapy offers lots of potentials, the caveat is it is still quite expensive and may not be an option for people with limited financial capability even if the procedure is done in government medical facilities.

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Boy found positive of Enterovirus 71 (EV71)

Health Secretary Enrique Ona confirmed that a one-year old boy from Davao City has been found positive for the Enterovirus 71 (EV71). He said that the tests conducted at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) of the eight suspected Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) revealed one was tested positive of the virus similar to the ones in Cambodia that killed 64 children.

Ona clarified however that "the virus is similar to Cambodia but this case is the mild one." He added that the boy had developed fever and rashes on his hands, soles of feet, mouth and buttocks last July 6 and was brought for consultation at a local health facility but was subsequently sent home and has since recovered very well.


Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a virus of the genus Enterovirus in the Picornaviridae family notable for its etiological role in epidemics of severe neurological diseases in children. It was first isolated and characterized from cases of neurological disease in California in 1969. Infection may be asymptomatic or it may cause diarrhea, rashes, and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD); and also has the potential to cause severe neurological disease.

Although the victim's family members have no sickness, they are still being closely monitored for possible manifestation of symptoms such as high fever, chest and muscle pain, sore throat and headache, Ona said.

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WARNING: This House Plant Could Kill!

When I was a child, we have this potted plant inside our house that my grandmother used to take care of. It is a beautiful green plant that can grow as high as 6 feet. The leaves are large, ovate, and usually have irregular areas of lighter green, yellow, or off-white that follow the veining pattern. It is quite a special plant as she usually wipes the leaves of this plant with a clean piece of cloth to make them shiny and beautiful. It cannot be placed under direct sunlight that’s why it is sitting in one corner of the living room where it can get moderate to bright light. It should also be carefully watered as too much water can cause the plant’s leaf tips to brown; while too much fertilizer can cause curled, crispy leaf tips. It is just recently that I’ve known that this beautiful house plant could kill!

Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia) is an attractive and popular house plant that features a single, thick trunk that unwinds into several trunks as it matures. I commonly see it inside friends’ and relatives’ houses displayed proudly planted in a beautiful pot.

It got its name from its poisonous sap that a person who chews it may experience an intense burning sensation in the mouth and then lose speech. In severe cases, swelling at the base of the tongue may block the air passage of the throat, with fatal results if not treated in time. It is most dangerous to children, and even pets, who may accidentally put the leaves in their mouth.

There are also some horrifying stories about Dumb Cane. It is reported to have been given to slaves as a form of punishment - the slave master would force the slave to put a piece of this plant into a slave’s mouth that would cause throat paralysis, and therefore result in permanent loss of voice. Also, in 1941, Heinrich Himmler, then head of the SS in Nazi Germany, considered using the dumb cane to sterilize war prisoners. The plan failed due the difficulty of shipping enough plants over from their natural home in Central America.

So BEWARE OF DUMB CANE! As much as possible, avoid using it as an indoor foliage to avoid terrible consequences of accidental consumption of this plant by you, your children, house members, pets or house guests.

Thanks again for taking time to visit InhoHiway.

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