The promise of regenerative medicine
We all know that Lizards can regrow a lost tail. Starfish are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs. Salamanders and Newts can completely regenerate heart tissue and entire limbs following tissue injury at any stage of their life. But what about Humans? So far, the Liver is the only organ in the body known to regenerate. It can replace damaged tissues with new cells. What happens if any other organ or body part is permanently damaged? Can we turn back the clock and replace worn out or damaged body parts with completely new ones? This where Regenerative Medicine comes into play.
Regenerative Medicine aims to repair, replace or regenerate human cells or tissues that have been damaged due to disease, trauma or congenital defects. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves Tissue Engineering, Cell and Immunomodulation Therapy and Production of Artificial limbs and organs. A combination of scaffolds, stem cells and growth factors must either replace the damaged tissue and function as the original tissue, or stimulate the regrowth of the original tissue. The cells used can be Autologous (from the same patient) or Allogenic (from a donor). Carticel, is the first FDA approved biogenic product that treats focal articular cartilage defects using autologous chondrocytes. The chondrocytes are harvested from the articular cartilage, expanded ex vivo and is implanted at the site of injury. GINTUIT is a allogenic product used to treat mucogingivial conditions in adults. 3D Bioprinting is a technique where Bioinks, generally a combination of cells and growth factors, are printed layer by layer to create tissue-like structures that can mimic natural tissues. In 2019, Israeli researchers constructed a rabbit sized, bioprinted heart out of human cells.
Umbilical cord blood was previously considered as a waste material after childbirth. Recent studies show that Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Hematopoietic Stem Cells(UCB-HSCs) can generate RBCs, WBCs and platelets and the Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (UCB-MSCs) are capable of giving rise to mesenchymal lineages such as bone, cartilage and fat. Thus the UCB shows great potential for the treatment of cancer, Type 1 diabetes, blood and neurological disorders and immune deficiencies. The Coronavirus has adverse effects on both the respiratory and immune system. The immunomodulatory effects of MSCs, which may assist in inhibiting cytokine storm and lung inflammation, are of particular interest for COVID-19 therapy. In the hopes of finding a cure for ALS, researchers are also doing studies on the ability of the MSCs to protect our neurons. Current stem cell therapies for ALS focus on keeping the neurons alive for as long as possible, but imagine if we could generate new neurons to replace the old ones and make new connections in our brain.
Imagine a future where no one waits on an organ transplant list!
Imagine a future where if you are disfigured in an unfortunate accident, a pill could change the electrical charge at the site of the injury causing your toes to regenerate!
Imagine a future where, if you suffer from heart failure, a new organ could be grown on a cadaver heart Scaffold using your own stem cells. And with this new heart, you could get back to running!
It may sound like science fiction but it could soon become a science fact!
This is the promise and future of Regenerative Medicine.
