Knowledge and Attitude toward the Therapeutic Potential of Human Amnion Stem Cells among Students of Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
Majid Alhomrani1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA., 2Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, SAUDI ARABIA.
Abdulhakeem S. Alamri1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA., 2Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, SAUDI ARABIA.
Walaa F. Alsanie1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA., 2Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, SAUDI ARABIA.
Bassem M. Raafat3Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Tariq Altalhi4Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Nujood S. Alotaibi1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Fay T. Algthami1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Reyouf H. Alsalmi1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Najwa H. Alhalifi1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAUDI ARABIA.
Syed Mohammed Basheeruddin Asdaq5Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Dariyah, Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA.
Nagaraja Sreeharsha6Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, SAUDI ARABIA., 7Department of Pharmaceutics, Vidya Siri College of Pharmacy, Off Sarjapura Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, INDIA.
Background: Among the various types of stem cells which have been suggested for therapeutic purposes, human amnion epithelial cells (hAEC) are highly promising. Purpose: This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the Taif University population toward the therapeutic potential of hAEC. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among the students of Taif University. A self-administrated questionnaire was used in this descriptive study. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, knowledge, and attitudes regarding stem cells and hAEC. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS-IBM 25. Results: Out of 1026 subjects, 908 (88.6%) were female, 686 (66.9%) from the age group of less than 25 years, 984 (96%) Saudi nationals, and 834 (81.45%) were undergraduate students. Unfortunately, 35% of the subjects in this study have no idea about stem cells and 55% have never heard about hAEC. Only a moderate level of knowledge score was noticed among the participants about stem cells. Significantly (P=0.001) high percentage of females would like to conserve their human amniotic epithelial cells for family or for research purposes. More than 88% of the subjects would like to have awareness programs in the community about human amniotic epithelial cells. The knowledge and attitude scores were shown to have a substantial positive association. Conclusion: As a result of this research, it is suggested that various stem cell educational programs and awareness campaigns need to be implemented in universities in order to improve stem cell knowledge and encourage a more positive attitude toward the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes.
