Stem cell therapy could become a routine part of medical treatment in Jamaica

A stem cell emerging from rat bone marrow. PHOTO/Imperial College London

Stem cell therapy could become a routine part of medical treatment in Jamaica, according to Janice Simmonds-Fisher – a medical doctor and operator of the BIO-regeneration Integrated Medical Center located in Montego Bay.

The BIO-regeneration Integrated Medical Center has been operating in the island-nation for one year and plays a pivotal role in the promotion and development of Jamaica’s medical tourism industry.

More: Jamaica: Health tourism sector to improve and expand

Stem cell research has had bad press over the years due to the misconception that stem cells can only come from embryos. The treatments offered in Jamaica are autologous, which means the patients use their own stem cells, which can be harvested from their fat tissue or from mobilized peripheral blood.

“Stem cell therapy is the best tool we have right now because stem cells have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, neuro-degenerative diseases, spinal cord injury, heart disease and a host of orthopaedic indications,” she noted.

Read more: The Gleaner