[앵커]
YTN reported on suspicion and controversy over the world’s first stem cell treatment over the past two days.
Today, I am accusing the status of unlicensed stem cell procedures in the Gangnam area of Seoul.
Patients with incurable diseases believe in stem cells and are undergoing unauthorized procedures that have not been verified for safety and effectiveness by spending a large amount of money.
Reporter Seung-Hwan Kim, from the Planning and Exploration Team, reported.
[기자]
The miracle of stem cell procedures that can be easily found on YouTube.
[(말씀하는 건 어떠세요?) “괜찮습니다.”]
This video shows that the tremor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have improved significantly.
But the family’s words are different.
[동영상 환자 가족 : 시술받기 전에도 상태에 따라서 어떨 땐 되게 괜찮고…. 꼭 이걸 줄기세포 시술을 받아서 (좋게) 바뀌었다고 볼 수는 없는 것 같아요.]
Stem cell procedures are performed by injecting mononuclear cells isolated from bone marrow, blood or fat into the patient’s body.
Stem cells have not been cultured, and the therapeutic effect has not been proven.
[임현우 / 가톨릭중앙의료원 임상연구지원센터 교수 : 골수에서 뽑았을 때 골수 성분의 0.1%에서 0.01% 줄기세포가 포함된 상황인 거고요. 현재 단계에서는 그 (치료) 효과가 명확하게 증명된 게 없는 상황이기 때문에….]
I went to Gangnam, Seoul, where stem cell treatment is most popular.
[A 의원 관계자 : 젊은 분들도 많이 와요. 통증 때문에. 만병통치약이라고 보시면 돼요. 줄기세포는….]
Intractable diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease are said to be greatly improved once they are treated.
[A 의원 관계자 : 보통 경동맥으로 들어가는 분들은 거의 뇌 질환 쪽이에요. 알츠하이머, 루게릭도 보시고요.]
The basic cost is tens of millions of won, and it costs a whopping 100 million won if it is treated 10 times a year.
[A 의원 관계자 : 파킨슨이나 중증으로 오시는 분들은 기본 5천만 원 정도. 1년 과정에는 1억 원이고요.]
Other than cosmetic purposes, most stem cell procedures have not been tested for safety and effectiveness.
Under current regulations, stem cell treatment is possible only for cartilage defects, severe ischemic lower extremities, and myocardial infarction.
In addition to this, all but four procedures that are only available in certain medical institutions for research purposes are not licensed.
[보건복지부 관계자 : 명확하게 치료 목적으로 홍보하는 건 불법 여지가 크고요. 치료 목적으로는 NECA(신의료기술 평가 사업본부)의 제한적 의료 기술로 반드시 해야 (등록) 해야 합니다.]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, strongly warns of the dangers of unauthorized stem cell procedures.
[미국 FDA 줄기세포 치료 경고 영상 : 허가받지 않은 줄기세포 치료술이나 치료제는 심각한 감염과 실명, 죽음을 야기합니다.]
However, our health authorities are not just cracking down on crackdowns, but also losing control.
[보건복지부 관계자 : 새로운 영역인데 국가가 관리를 제대로 못한 상태거든요. 제도와 법이 명확하지 않으니깐 공무원들도 움직이기 어려운 거죠.]
Patients who have hoped for stem cell procedures amid government neglect are paying high costs and wasting valuable time.
YTN Seunghwan Kim[[email protected]]is.
[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
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