FAQ

Stem cells are the body's raw materials — cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. Under the right conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells or bone cells. No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types.

Increased understanding of how diseases occur. By watching stem cells mature into cells in bones, heart muscle, nerves, and other organs and tissue, researchers and doctors may better understand how diseases and conditions develop. Generate healthy cells to replace diseased cells (regenerative medicine). Stem cells can be guided into becoming specific cells that can be used to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissues in people. People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis. Stem cells may have the potential to be grown to become new tissue for use in transplant and regenerative medicine. Researchers continue to advance the knowledge on stem cells and their applications in transplant and regenerative medicine. Test new drugs for safety and effectiveness. Before using investigational drugs in people, researchers can use some types of stem cells to test the drugs for safety and quality. This type of testing will most likely first have a direct impact on drug development first for cardiac toxicity testing. New areas of study include the effectiveness of using human stem cells that have been programmed into tissue-specific cells to test new drugs. For the testing of new drugs to be accurate, the cells must be programmed to acquire properties of the type of cells targeted by the drug. Techniques to program cells into specific cells continue to be studied. For instance, nerve cells could be generated to test a new drug for a nerve disease. Tests could show whether the new drug had any effect on the cells and whether the cells were harmed.

Regenerative medicine seeks to replace tissue or organs that have been damaged by disease, trauma, or congenital issues, vs. the current clinical strategy that focuses primarily on treating the symptoms. The tools used to realize these outcomes are tissue engineering, cellular therapies, and medical devices and artificial organs. Combinations of these approaches can amplify our natural healing process in the places it is needed most, or take over the function of a permanently damaged organ. Regenerative medicine is a relatively new field that brings together experts in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, genetics, medicine, robotics, and other fields to find solutions to some of the most challenging medical problems faced by humankind. When injured or invaded by disease, our bodies have the innate response to heal and defend. What if it was possible to harness the power of the body to heal and then accelerate it in a clinically relevant way? What if we could help the body heal better? The promising field of Regenerative Medicine is working to restore structure and function of damaged tissues and organs. It is also working to create solutions for organs that become permanently damaged. The goal of this approach is to find a way to cure previously untreatable injuries and diseases.

Cell-based therapy as a modality of regenerative medicine is considered one of the most promising disciplines in the fields of modern science & medicine. Such an advanced technology offers endless possibilities for transformative and potentially curative treatments for some of humanities most life threatening diseases. Regenerative medicine is rapidly becoming the next big thing in health care with the particular aim of repairing and possibly replacing diseased cells, tissues or organs and eventually retrieving normal function. Fortunately, the prospect of regenerative medicine as an alternative to conventional drug-based therapies is becoming a tangible reality by the day owing to the vigorous commitment of the research communities in studying the potential applications across a wide range of diseases like neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes, among many others

Adult stem cell-based therapies are already in widespread clinical use and have been for over 40 years, in the form of bone marrow transplants. These procedures, used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and inherited blood disorders, save many lives every year, and demonstrate the validity of stem cell transplantation as a therapeutic concept. New clinical applications are being explored using stem cells for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, cardiavascular disease, stroke, autoimmune and metabolic disorders, and chronic inflammatory diseases in addition to blood cancers. While human clinical trials have begun in many of these applications, it may still be a matter of years before these treatments become widely available to the patient. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that successes will be possible, and that new stem cell based treatments will become available as they complete clinical trials.

Yes. Stem cells can be used to generate cell lines specific to a particular patient with a particular disease. By matching the biological data from these cells with the clinical history of the patient, it may be possible to extract more relevant information on the linkage between molecular pathways and the causes of disease. Cell lines can be derived from stem cells for specific tissues, such a heart muscle, specific types of neurons, kidney cells, etc. and used in biological assays to screen thousands of chemical compounds for their safety and effectiveness in treating disease. Stem cells also play an important role in expanding our understanding of embryonic and fetal development, helping us to identify the cells and molecules responsible for guiding the patterns of normal (and abnormal) tissue and organ formation.