Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
demonstrated to produce nearly 30 different types of specialized
cells (NIH, 2010). These cell types include blood, bone, cartilage,
fat, connective tissue, neurons, the specialized cell types of the gut
and liver, hair and skin. The possibility of creating these cells
in vitro
or stimulating them to grow
in vivo
could lead to a wide range of
therapeutic applications in veterinary and human medicine. Some of
the more widely publicized possibilities include treatments for
degenerative disorders of the central nervous systems like multiple
sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease, replacement endocrine
system cells that have been damaged by diseases like diabetes and
treatments for disabling joint conditions like osteoarthritis. More
commercially oriented applications might include the healing of scar
tissue and other soft tissue injuries or perceived defects and hair
replacement treatments for baldness.
According to the Adult Stem Cell Research Network (
http://www.
ascrnetwork.com
), there are a number of clinical trials currently
underway worldwide. The Adult Stem Cell Research Network was
established by the US-based not-for-profit Cell Therapy Foundation
in 2008 (
http://www.cellthearpy.org
). As an indication of the
potential number of clinical trials started, the ASCR Network
website states that clinical trials utilizing adult stem cells are being
undertaken for indications ranging from heart failure and heart
disease to stroke, cerebral palsy, peripheral arterial disease, Type 1
and Type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The ASCR Network's
latest news bulletins further suggest that clinical trials are being
developed for eye disease and cirrhosis. Although it is not possible
to discuss each of these trials in detail here, the diversity of listings
gives some idea of the wide range of potential therapeutic applications
that are currently being developed with adult stem cells.
Previous outcomes from clinical trials have already shown some
promise. A small study of individuals newly diagnosed with Type 1
diabetes in Brazil has reportedly demonstrated that the use of
haematopoietic stem cell treatments after immune system irradiation
resulted in patients being free from insulin-dependence for as long as
three years (Rose, 2007). The results of the trial (Voltarelli et al.,
2007) suggest that this form of treatment for diabetes could be a
viable alternative to the problem of controlling blood sugar levels via
