By Sirinart Sirisunthon,
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
Published on May 26, 2009
The Medical Council's plan to issue new regulations requiring stemcell researchers to seek approval from a newly set up national regulatory body, was met with opposition yesterday, with study teams saying the longwinded process would force researchers to conduct their studies in neighbouring countries like Laos and Singapore.
"They will move to another country if they face any more strict regulations controlling their studies," said Dr Ahnond Bunyaratvej, secretarygeneral of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT)
The move comes after the Medical Council said yesterday that it had just completed the final version of its decree - expected to come into effect after three months - to regulate the use of human stemcells treatment in diseases related to veins, organ transplants and heart disorders. Stemcell technology is already being used in bonemarrow transplants and blood disorders.
"The relevant agencies should handle the issuance of this new regulation carefully, otherwise it will affect the researchers," he added.
At present, all studies on stemcell treatment need to be approved by an ethics and academic committee at each medical school, hospital and educational institution. Scientists who wish to do their stemcell studies under the auspices of the NRCT also need an approval from impartial experts.
The process of waiting for another approval from the national regulatory body would only delay things, Ahnond said. He also expressed concerns over the conflict of interest and the impartiality of members of the national committee who will oversee stemcell studies.
Pissamai Laopattarakasem, a stemcell researcher from Khon Kaen University, said the Medical Council's regulation would affect research in universities and medical schools, as it would introduce more delays in the process.
She said she felt discouraged by the new regulation and was considering dropping her study all together. She was planning to propose two new stemcell research projects, but has cancelled them after learning about the new regulation. Pissamai said that since it already took five months to get an approval from the ethics and academics university, an additional okay from the national body would extend the waiting period to a whole year.
One stemcell researcher from Chiang Mai, who wished to remain unnamed, said he would be moving his studies to neighbouring countries such as Laos, Cambodia or Singapore as the regulations there were friendlier.
"Personally, I back the Medical Council's plan to control the misuse of stemcell technology, but the council should not control studies into the subject as it would not help the country develop," he said.
The Medical Council's president, Dr Somsak Lohlekha, said the regulation would not block the development of stemcell research but would instead improve standards and the quality of studies.
Only studies in relation to human stem cells will need mandatory approval from a national regulatory body, but it will not allow the use of human stem cells in medical treatment, he added.
Moreover, he said, researchers should not have to wait too long for the approval because the regulatory body will have to work within a strict deadline.
He said the international committee had already condemned some clinics and hospitals in Thailand for using unproven stemcell therapies. "Many physicians do not inform patients that stem cell research is still underway before using the technology on their patients," he said. "That is why we need to issue this regulation."
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
Published on May 26, 2009
The Medical Council's plan to issue new regulations requiring stemcell researchers to seek approval from a newly set up national regulatory body, was met with opposition yesterday, with study teams saying the longwinded process would force researchers to conduct their studies in neighbouring countries like Laos and Singapore.
"They will move to another country if they face any more strict regulations controlling their studies," said Dr Ahnond Bunyaratvej, secretarygeneral of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT)
The move comes after the Medical Council said yesterday that it had just completed the final version of its decree - expected to come into effect after three months - to regulate the use of human stemcells treatment in diseases related to veins, organ transplants and heart disorders. Stemcell technology is already being used in bonemarrow transplants and blood disorders.
"The relevant agencies should handle the issuance of this new regulation carefully, otherwise it will affect the researchers," he added.
At present, all studies on stemcell treatment need to be approved by an ethics and academic committee at each medical school, hospital and educational institution. Scientists who wish to do their stemcell studies under the auspices of the NRCT also need an approval from impartial experts.
The process of waiting for another approval from the national regulatory body would only delay things, Ahnond said. He also expressed concerns over the conflict of interest and the impartiality of members of the national committee who will oversee stemcell studies.
Pissamai Laopattarakasem, a stemcell researcher from Khon Kaen University, said the Medical Council's regulation would affect research in universities and medical schools, as it would introduce more delays in the process.
She said she felt discouraged by the new regulation and was considering dropping her study all together. She was planning to propose two new stemcell research projects, but has cancelled them after learning about the new regulation. Pissamai said that since it already took five months to get an approval from the ethics and academics university, an additional okay from the national body would extend the waiting period to a whole year.
One stemcell researcher from Chiang Mai, who wished to remain unnamed, said he would be moving his studies to neighbouring countries such as Laos, Cambodia or Singapore as the regulations there were friendlier.
"Personally, I back the Medical Council's plan to control the misuse of stemcell technology, but the council should not control studies into the subject as it would not help the country develop," he said.
The Medical Council's president, Dr Somsak Lohlekha, said the regulation would not block the development of stemcell research but would instead improve standards and the quality of studies.
Only studies in relation to human stem cells will need mandatory approval from a national regulatory body, but it will not allow the use of human stem cells in medical treatment, he added.
Moreover, he said, researchers should not have to wait too long for the approval because the regulatory body will have to work within a strict deadline.
He said the international committee had already condemned some clinics and hospitals in Thailand for using unproven stemcell therapies. "Many physicians do not inform patients that stem cell research is still underway before using the technology on their patients," he said. "That is why we need to issue this regulation."
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