IT goes without saying that Covid-19 has changed how we live our lives. On top of pushing multiple industries to adopt digital processes like never before, the pandemic has accelerated advancements in the field of biotechnology, with one of the most recent successes being the development of Covid-19 vaccines with a 95 per cent success rate.
Before Covid-19, diseases like H1N1 and SARS ravaged the world. Through a significant amount of research in the field of biotechnology, we have made sure that those diseases no longer pose a great threat.
In recent years, some of the most exciting news in biotechnology has come from stem cell research.
For instance, CRISPR, a powerful gene-editing technology is now being used to treat sickle-cell anaemia and could potentially cure cancer and HIV in the future.
As stem cell research continues to progress, it is important for patients to be aware of the kinds of stem cells which can be collected and stored, along with their unlimited potential for curing a variety of diseases.
In the 1980s, stem cells could only be collected right before transplant, which posed a few problems.
Since then, many discoveries have been made and developed in the biotechnology industry. These include isolation, cryopreservation, and long-term storage technology which have paved the way for stem cell storage and cord blood banking.
Through this technology, we are able to collect and store stem cells for future use. This allows for more stem cells to be well-preserved ahead of time, giving patients the assurance and peace of mind needed.
Stem Cells In Action
Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) are stem cells that produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to treat blood disorders.
One of the most effective uses of HSC is in the treatment of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). With stem cell transplant, more than 90 per cent of cases have been successfully treated.
A typical treatment method for ALL is through chemotherapy and radiation. However, there are times when a higher dosage of drugs and radiation is required to treat certain patients and this can be severely damaging to the patients' bone marrow.
In these cases, HSC transplants after using higher doses of drugs to kill the cancer cells, help patients to produce normal blood-forming cells to restore bone marrow functions.
Aside from that, HSC can potentially be very effective in treating blood disorders such as cancer, thalassemia (a blood disorder where the body doesn't make enough of a protein called haemoglobin), and aplastic anaemia (a condition that leaves one fatigued and more prone to infections and uncontrolled bleeding).
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are another type. These are very versatile and important stem cells.
In recent times, doctors have been using MSC to treat patients with severe respiratory syndrome as a result of Covid-19 infection and results have been promising.
MSCs have also shown a great deal of promise in addressing autism, a disease that did not have a viable cure previously. Currently, many clinical trials are being conducted around the world in universities with stem cell departments including Duke University's Autism Trial.
Aside from that, MSCs are also used in clinical trials to study potential cures for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Another exciting area of research is using MSCs to treat heart conditions, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
Stem cell research has definitely come a long way since the discovery of embryonic stem cells in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans of Cardiff University.
While there is no guarantee that stem cell transplants will completely cure any particular disease, the potential of stem cells is undeniable. Doctors across the world are working relentlessly to discover more about the seemingly endless potential of stem cells.
*The writer is medical director of StemLife.