Stem Cells: Past, Present, or
Future
Stem Cell Therapy, and its continued potential in medicine.
Written by: Srikar Kolluru | Edited by: Miles Lee | Graphic Design by: Gina Phu
In 1998, biologist James Alexander Thomson published his research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC), kickstarting arguably one of the most controversial and medically impactful scientific disciplines of this century. Since then, Stem Cell Therapy has been touted as a cure-all, a medical phenomenon that would transform the field of regenerative medicine as we know it. Given over 25 years of research in the field, what progress have we made, and how does the future of stem cell research present itself to modern-day researchers?
To truly discern the importance of stem cell research, it is first necessary to discuss what stem cells are. Stem cells, in addition to being able to clone themselves, have the unique ability to differentiate, or convert, into various cell types, from cardiac muscle cells to nerve cells, to red blood cells, to more. There are various types of stem cells, from the hESCs mentioned above to Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, or IPSCs, that are essentially reprogrammed adult cells that have been given the ability to differentiate.
According to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, certain stem cells can differentiate into over 200 different cell types, resulting in a wide range of potential therapeutics. This ability of stem cells has garnered them the designation “pluripotent,” meaning many potentials. Take, for example, a patient with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition in which the individual’s immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers and destroys them, thereby interrupting signals being sent between the brain and body parts. Using the patient’s own bone marrow cells, researchers have identified methods to regenerate said myelin, restoring the protective sheets and resuming signal relay. If successful, the field of Stem cell research could result in regenerative cures for disorders and injuries that to date, could never be cured – spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, to name a few.
Given the seemingly staggering evidence in support of Stem cell research, some wonder why there has not been more progress to date. To date, there have been ethical and scientific roadblocks that slowed advancement in the field. A major ethical concern surrounding human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) research was that hESC research resulted in the destruction of the human embryo, which played a major role in the public’s view of the field. In attempting to work around this ethical dilemma and reenergize public support, researchers identified Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. In creating IPSCs, researchers eliminated the only major ethical concern surrounding stem cell research, using reprogrammed adult cells to cut out the embryonic middle man.
Today, the only stem cell therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration is hematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplantation. This category of stem cells is already being used to treat cancers, as well as diseases of the cardiovascular and immune systems. While we may not yet be in a future where stem cell therapies cure the incurable, the prospects within the field remain sound and intact. Given time, patience, and most importantly – public support – stem cell medicine could very well revolutionize healthcare within our lifetime.
To learn more about clinical trials involving stem cells visit ClinicalTrials.gov. To learn more about existing FDA-approved stem cell therapies visit FDA.gov. If you are a USC student looking to get involved in Stem cell research, or communicate with Stem Cell faculty, visit stemcell.keck.usc.edu.
These articles are not intended to serve as medical advice. If you have specific medical concerns, please reach out to your provider.