What happens if proposed stem-cell-based therapies actually work? Monya Baker, editor of Nature Reports Stem Cells_, ponders this question for stem-cell researchers in a post at The Niche blog
In discussions at several large conferences, as reported on The Niche, scientists are addressing how society might pay for expensive therapies that arise from their research. Patient–advocacy groups are funding many research laboratories, and there are well-established collaborations between researchers, clinicians, patients, regulators and industry. Organizations that pay for health care, as well as social activists, may soon need to be included, writes Baker.
Previous concerns about stem-cell therapies have come from outside the research or treatment fields, from people who are primarily concerned about social equality or about basic ethical issues. As stem-cell research projects move towards applications, such as disease modelling and patient screening, scientists and social activists will need to find new ways to interact — to ensure that they also address the associated economic hurdles.
“_Nature 455, xi; 9 October 2008":http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v455/n7214/full/7214xic.html