While stem cell therapy is a new, innovative treatment, researchers have been studying the therapeutic potential of stem cells for decades.
In this article, we’ll look at the past, present, and future of stem cell therapy, examining factors like stem cell treatment cost, clinical applications, and ethical considerations.
Let’s dive in!
The Origins of Stem Cell Research
Stem cells saw their introduction into modern medicine in 1956 when the first blood marrow transplantation took place. In the 1960s, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) were isolated from bone marrow and were administered to mice with leukemia to successfully show the efficacy of stem cell treatments.
In 1998, researchers discovered a way to extract stem cells from human embryos. This was a remarkable discovery but would be the start of the controversial embryonic stem cell therapy.
Research continued, with more focus on finding safe, effective, and ethical treatments, like mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy.
Advances in Stem Cell Technology
The year 2006 saw one of the most important discoveries in stem cell technology. Scientists Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi discovered how to reprogram adult multipotent stem cells into pluripotent cells.
Photo by Ousa Chea on Unsplash
This allowed for the creation of pluripotent cells without the destruction of a human embryo. This new type of stem cell is called an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC). But while iPSCs have enormous potential, they’re still in the research phase and are not used in stem cell treatment.
Most clinics today, including Swiss Medica, use mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in stem cell treatment. MSCs have emerged as a viable option for stem cell therapy, because they are easy to isolate in the lab, can differentiate into many different cell types and exert powerful paracrine effects.
Currently, researchers are trying to determine the best delivery methods and stem cell sources to improve the effectiveness of MSC therapy. For example, researchers have found success in treating stroke patients with umbilical cord-derived MSCs.
Current Applications of Stem Cell Therapy
Currently, stem cell therapy can successfully treat a range of conditions, including:
- Autism
- Post-stroke condition
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- COPD
- Parkinson’s disease
- Liver cirrhosis
Stem cell therapy treats these conditions by targeting the site of damaged tissue, promoting the growth of new neurons and releasing cytokines and growth factors that restore damaged tissues.
Many stem cell clinics also use other stem cell products during treatment. For example, Swiss Medica uses MSC-derived exosomes to enhance treatment. Exosomes can travel through the body more efficiently and deliver the same therapeutic benefits of MSCs, while posing a lower risk of immune rejection.
Ethical and Regulatory Considerations
Human embryonic stem cells are the biggest ethical issue in stem cell treatment, as they are collected from human embryos. However, most clinics use MSCs, which are obtained from consenting adult donors.
While stem cell treatment using MSCs is safe, stem cell therapy still faces regulatory barriers. In the US, no MSC therapies are approved by the FDA. Regulatory barriers slow down the development of the treatment, which also prevents the average cost of stem cell therapy from decreasing.
Future Perspectives and Innovations
Cost can be a significant barrier to treatment, leading many people to ask “How much does a stem cell treatment cost?”
Therefore, research is largely focused on developing inexpensive manufacturing methods that would lower stem cell treatment cost and make the treatment more accessible.
iPSCs hold great promise in stem cell therapy, but there are some challenges to implementing iPSCs in clinical settings. iPSCs must undergo more trials to establish safety and efficacy. Besides, the iPSCs production process is too time and labor-consuming and thus it is almost impossible to achieve economically.
The Impact of Stem Cell Therapy on Healthcare
Currently, there are many diseases for which there is no cure. Traditional treatment focuses on reducing symptoms, whereas stem cell therapy treats the underlying cause. Stem cell therapy has the potential to slow or even stop the progression of a disease.
Therefore, if adopted on a large scale, stem cell therapy could remove a significant burden from healthcare institutions.