The bad news: "Stem cells by themselves do not work."

The good news: "Stem cells by themselves do not work."

Take it from the doctor who has treated 5,000 patients with stem cell therapy, a doctor who is himself a cancer survivor. Thirteen years ago, Dr. Sam Bernal - oncologist, chemist, molecular biologist, lawyer, professor and lecturer, among other things - was a cancer patient who thought he was at death's door. Using stem cells sourced from his bone marrow and peripheral blood, he overcame the disease and has since become an advocate of living fit, living well in order to look good.

Dr. Bernal, who divides his time between Los Angeles, Prague, Makati, and Germany, was a pioneer in stem cell research in the Philippines early on in his career, for which he was cited when he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Filipinos Overseas from President Benigno S, Aquino III in 2012.

At a recent meeting with journalists, Dr. Bernal hurled the challenge: "What do you need stem cell therapy for if you eat well, sleep soundly, exercise regularly, don't smoke, have a positive attitude, and know how to live in the moment as you gaze at a painting and get a thrill out of small things like that?"

Not only is the doctor a passionate advocate of living the good life, the simple life, and, yes, Argentine tango - "It's better than boring exercises at the gym!" - he believes in healthy eating. "I brought a group of European friends to Manila and they were flabbergasted at our vegetable dishes - laing, gising-gising, buko juice - our simplest food was gourmet cuisine to them!"

No, he's not a vegetarian, but a "flexitarian."

But if stem cells - the body's own master and repair cells - aren't the key to staying young, what is? The holistic approach works best, according to the doctor, stating that the procedure should be recommended by doctors "on a case by case basis." In effect, the doctor prescribes "customizing your stem cell therapy."

In his book, molecular biology provides the battleground from which to attack the afflictions of aging that signal a desire or need to repair or replace one's stem cells. Speaking of books, Dr. Bernal continues to teach at Harvard, Ateneo, UST, and Medical City as a component of his mission to spread the benefits of technology transfer, which is the vision of his company, GlobeTek Science Foundation (based in Makati).

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‘Customize’ your stem cell therapy

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