2008 Woodie Awards
The Cure Found Within
Zev Hamburger
Issue date: 12/6/04 Section: Science & Technology
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Sirens are wailing, as an ambulance is rounding the corner into the ER. Mr. Mac is having his 8th heart attack. He's already had a fair share of angioplasties and even a few tube-like stents inserted into his arteries. It seems that there's nothing doctors can do to keep Mr. Mac on his feet and out of the hospital. That is, until now. Over a dozen clinical trials of adult stem cell implants were attempted with the goal of repairing damaged hearts and the results look promising.
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can develop into almost any other cell type in the body, be it bone, muscle, or even heart cells. Cells develop depending solely on where they are inserted. These cells can be harmlessly removed from the bone marrow and inserted directly into a damaged area of the heart. To do this procedure, doctors use a catheter, a three dimensional mapping system, and an imaging system originally developed by Israel for tracking missiles. The cells can then mature into brand new healthy heart cells which can take the place of their damaged counterparts. Many studies show a 5-30% increase of cardiac activity, which could mean the difference between patients remaining bedridden or living normal lives.
The most exiting part about this new miracle therapy is that scientists have only hit the tip of the iceberg. While the studies have shown that the implanted cells benefit almost all patients, researchers are still figuring out how the stem cells get the job done. The most obvious idea is that the marrow stem cells actually morph into new blood vessels or muscles which can replace the damaged tissue. However, a new theory is gaining steam in the medical world. Recent animal studies in Columbia University carried out by Silviu Itescu, a leading stem cell researcher suggest that the stem cells can heal damaged tissue without integration.
In fact, in some tests the damage tissue was able to regenerate even though the stem cells died within 48 hours of insertion. Itescu proposes that the stem cells respond to S.O.S. signals sent out by the damaged tissue and then start the regenerative process by sending out their own chemical signals. So instead of replacing the old damaged cells, the stem cells can induce the cells to heal on their own.
Only one question remains: If this is the miracle therapy which can not only save lives but help patients live, why isn't everyone jumping on board? David Stipp from Fortune Magazine maintains that the pharmaceutical companies who usually head the research of new medicines are reluctant to invest. Unlike most new medical therapies, the technologies and drugs for required for stem cell implantation already exists. Therefore, companies feel that they will never make enough money to make further research worthwhile. Since the major pharmaceutical companies are out of the stem cell race, it up to the physicians to bring stem cell therapies to the forefront of practical medicine.
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can develop into almost any other cell type in the body, be it bone, muscle, or even heart cells. Cells develop depending solely on where they are inserted. These cells can be harmlessly removed from the bone marrow and inserted directly into a damaged area of the heart. To do this procedure, doctors use a catheter, a three dimensional mapping system, and an imaging system originally developed by Israel for tracking missiles. The cells can then mature into brand new healthy heart cells which can take the place of their damaged counterparts. Many studies show a 5-30% increase of cardiac activity, which could mean the difference between patients remaining bedridden or living normal lives.
The most exiting part about this new miracle therapy is that scientists have only hit the tip of the iceberg. While the studies have shown that the implanted cells benefit almost all patients, researchers are still figuring out how the stem cells get the job done. The most obvious idea is that the marrow stem cells actually morph into new blood vessels or muscles which can replace the damaged tissue. However, a new theory is gaining steam in the medical world. Recent animal studies in Columbia University carried out by Silviu Itescu, a leading stem cell researcher suggest that the stem cells can heal damaged tissue without integration.
In fact, in some tests the damage tissue was able to regenerate even though the stem cells died within 48 hours of insertion. Itescu proposes that the stem cells respond to S.O.S. signals sent out by the damaged tissue and then start the regenerative process by sending out their own chemical signals. So instead of replacing the old damaged cells, the stem cells can induce the cells to heal on their own.
Only one question remains: If this is the miracle therapy which can not only save lives but help patients live, why isn't everyone jumping on board? David Stipp from Fortune Magazine maintains that the pharmaceutical companies who usually head the research of new medicines are reluctant to invest. Unlike most new medical therapies, the technologies and drugs for required for stem cell implantation already exists. Therefore, companies feel that they will never make enough money to make further research worthwhile. Since the major pharmaceutical companies are out of the stem cell race, it up to the physicians to bring stem cell therapies to the forefront of practical medicine.