Stem cell harvesting is considered to be the latest revolution in the field of medical technology. It is considered of having the potential to change the treatment of human diseases and reduce the suffering people face when they have a disease. But like everything else, stem cell harvesting also has certain disadvantages to it. Let’s take a look at them.

Embryonic stem cells can have high rejection rates

Rejection rates are higher for embryonic stem cell therapies and they are infamous for creating several future health problems. As per several researches, they also encourage the development of tumours.

Adult stem cells have a determined cell type

Adult stem cells have a determined cell type without iPS reprogramming and hence cannot be changed into different cell tissues. The cells in their raw form can only involve the same type of tissue from which they were harvested in the first place, limiting the therapies that can be developed by stem cell research.

Obtaining any form of stem cell is a difficult process

The embryo must be grown in a culture to collect embryonic stem cells. It takes several months for the stem cells to grow enough to the point where they could be potentially used for the creation of a therapy. Adult stem cells can be extremely painful to obtain for the patient. A person not living near a facility that has the capabilities of obtaining those cells creates another set of logistics to be solved.

While the future potential of these treatments continues to inspire hope for many, the proven benefits of stem cell research are somewhat limited according to current science. The ethical questions may begin to fade as the processes to develop adult stem cells into programmable cells. Each key point must be considered before a final conclusion can be reached until then.