China's Stem Cell Research and Knowledge Levels of Medical Practitioners and Students

Knowledge and attitude of dental school faculties towards stem cell therapies and their applications

Background

Stem cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate across multiple lineages. Knowledge about these cells and their potential is an important factor driving people to support their use. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes regarding stem cell therapies, education, and donation among faculty members of the College of Dentistry at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A self-completed questionnaire was distributed among the faculty members, in which questions about demographic data, basic knowledge of stem cells as well as attitudes towards education and participation in stem cell-related research, and tissue donation were raised.

Results

A total of 102 participants responded to the questionnaire. Most participants (62.7%) ranked their stem cell knowledge as basic, despite correctly answering most of the knowledge questions. More than half of faculty mentioned a lack of stem cell-related activities in their courses (59.8%), and most showed strong support for including related education in postgraduate programs (71.6%). Noteworthy, 64% of participants reported interest in stem cell research and 74.5% were willing to donate their tissue for research purposes. The mean ranks of knowledge scores were significantly higher in subjects who have related lectures in undergraduate courses (p < 0.05), and those with high interest in research participation and tissue donation (p < 0.0001), and (p < 0.05) respectively. Most participants (>60%) were not aware about the current applications of stem cell research and therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion

Most participants had an acceptable degree of knowledge about stem cells and showed a positive attitude to their education and participation in research. Additionally, knowledge scores have significantly and positively influenced those attitudes. More effort is required to promote the presence of local facilities for researchers to participate in stem cell-related research. The results of this study can be used as a foundation for evidence-informed policymaking within dental schools and research institutions.

Comparison of Knowledge About Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Relation to Gender Among Healthcare Professionals and in the General Population

INTRODUCTION

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived by reprogramming adult somatic cells using a forced expression of four specific transcription factors in a highly controlled artificial environment. The aim of this paper is to examine the knowledge about these cells of the general population and the population of health workers in relation to gender.

METHODS

The research was designed as a cohort study conducted with a validated questionnaire to assess knowledge about iPSCs. Respondents were people over 18 years of age on the territory of the cities of Belgrade and Kragujevac in Serbia.

RESULTS

The study surveyed a total of 1,047 respondents, 560 (53.5%) women and 487 (46.5%) men. Statistically significant differences were observed for both genders. Women from both populations were better informed, more often agreed to treatment with iPSCs, more often supported further research, and were willing to take further education about iPSCs.

CONCLUSION

Comparing men and women from both populations, we found that men and women health workers showed greater knowledge compared to the general population. Level of knowledge and attitudes of the public can have multiple effects on further research emphasizing the importance of the support of public opinion about this type of treatment.

A Multicenter Study to Determine Knowledge and Perceptions on Stem Cell Donation, Transplantation Among Saudi Medical Students

BACKGROUND

Despite significant contributions to stem cell research in Saudi Arabia, knowledge and awareness of stem cell research is the subject of ongoing studies with controversial findings, specifically among medical students. This was a cross-sectional study with 685 medical students aimed to explore their knowledge and attitudes in relation to stem cell research and transplantation.

METHODS

A validated survey exploring knowledge and attitudes in relation to stem cell research and transplantation was administered. The total knowledge, attitude, and age scores were presented through mean and SD RESULTS: The results of the present study showed that university students in the Eastern Province had an average 35.88 knowledge of stem cell research. In contrast, the attitudes were positive among the entire study sample, with a mean of 3.79 out of 5. Both men and women had significant knowledge about the definition of stem cells and adult stem cells, bone marrow, whether stem cells can be used for drug testing, and recommended stem cell treatment if available.

CONCLUSIONS

The medical curriculum needs to be refined and enriched with additional data on organ and stem cell donation. This can be further enriched with experimental evidence through additional training initiatives that will allow those with negative attitudes to re-evaluate their perceptions and provide accurate information to patients as future health care providers.

Strengthening regulations, recent advances and remaining barriers in stem cell clinical translation in China: 2015-2021 in review

A new regulatory regime is being implemented under strict scrutiny for translation of stem cell medical practices since 2015 in China. The new mode of governance is strengthening to curb the marketing of unproven stem cell therapeutic products. This article begins with a brief historical overview of stem cell research and development and then focuses on the policies and country-level guidelines in the past years for stem cell translational research. This study reveals several key observations on the major progress made and the challenges associated with clinical translation of stem cells in China. Given that stem cells or stem cell-based therapeutic products are already considered as biological 'drugs', this study would be conducive to a better understanding of China's approach to stem cell translational research, marketisation and industrialization in progress.