Clinical uses of adult stem cells
“Adult stem cells, in particular, bone marrow cells and cord cells, already
have well established clinical histories, and cannot be patented. They have
shown great promise and potential in treating a variety of diseases, including,
more recently, brain and spinal cord repair in animal models. Adult stem cells
can be harvested directly from the patients requiring transplant, and used
without culture or after only brief periods of culture, thereby avoiding immune
rejection and all other technical problems and risks arising from prolonged
cell culture. Adult stem cells appear to have all the developmental potential
of ES [embryonic stem] cells, even though the precise mechanisms are debated,
without the risks of cancer. On account of the ease of harvesting, handling
and use, and the lack of patents, costs are minimal, and hence the treatments
developed are likely to be widely available to all. Finally, there is little
or no moral objection to using them." (Quoted from www.i-sis.org.uk)
The current clinical uses of adult stem cells include:
- Adult stem cells from the brain and from bone marrow, as well as from umbilical
cord blood, have all provided therapeutic benefit after stroke. These cells
are capable of "homing in" on sites of neurological damage.
- Adult stem cells are capable of regrowth and reconnection in the spinal
cord after injury.
- Liver and pancreatic adult stem cells can form insulin secreting islets,
for the treatment of diabetes.
- Stem cells derived from bone marrow and from skeletal muscle are capable
of repairing damaged cardiac tissue after a heart attack.
- Neural stem cells can form all neuron types, as they migrate throughout
the brain to repair damage and to prevent the loss of neurons associated
with Parkinson's disease.
- Using the patient's own adult neural stem cells, a group at Los Angeles
Cedars Sinai Medical Center reported a reversal of symptoms in the first
Parkinson's patient who was treated by this method. (Reported at a meeting
of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 4/8/02).
- Certain types of cancer, such as lymphomas, multiple myeloma, leukemia,
breast cancer, neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, and ovarian cancer are
treatable with adult stem cells.
- Autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, rheumatoid
arthritis, scleroderma, scleromyxedema, and Crohn's disease are treatable
with adult stem cells.
- Anemias (including sickle cell anemia) are treatable with adult stem cells.
- Immunodeficiencies are treatable with adult stem cells.
- Bone and cartilage deformities (such as childhood osteogenesis imperfecta)
are treatable with adult stem cells.
- Corneal scarring is treatable with adult stem cells (through the generation
of new corneas to restore sight).
- Neurological damage caused by stroke is treatable with adult stem cells.
- Parkinson's disease is treatable using retinal stem cells or the patient's
own neural stem cells.
- Adult stem cells are able to induce the growth of new blood vessels (such
as in the prevention of gangrene).
- Adult stem cells are able to induce the growth of new gastrointestinal
epithelia (and the regeneration of damaged ulcerous tissue).
- Adult stem cells are able to induce the growth of new skin grafts (grown
from hair follicle stem cells, after plucking a few hairs from the patient).
To recap, adult stem cells possess the following characteristics:
- They are able to generate virtually all types of adult tissues.
- They can multiply almost indefinitely, providing sufficient numbers for
clinical treatments.
- They have been repeatedly proven successful in laboratory cultures.
- They have been repeatedly proven successful in animal models of disease..
- They have been repeatedly proven successful in current clinical treatments.
- They have the ability to "home in" on, and target, specific sites
of tissue damage.
- They avoid any problems with tumor formation.
- They avoid any problems with transplant rejection.
- They avoid any ethical quandaries.
Source: The Institute of Cellular Medicine
