Stem Cell Therapy in Iran

During the last years, stem cell research have found great public interest in Iran because of the establishment of research institutions and their activities in Iranʹs public media. In contrast to this public propaganda, only the results of bone marrow transplantation in the hematopoietic disorders, especially in those with thalassemia major1, 2 and in few patients with multiple sclerosis3 have been published in scientific literature. In this issue of Archives of Iranian Medicine, two articles with the results of transplantation of autologous stem cells from bone marrow in two different diseases, i.e., advanced liver cirrhosis and myocardial infarction, are presented.4, 5 It is the results of activities and collaboration of one center where the stem cells are prepared and two clinical centers in Iran where the patients were selected, treated, and followed.