Dozens of adult stem cell treatments are moving through clinical trials and showing early success, raising hopes that some could reach the market within five years.
'It will only take a few successes to really change the field,' said Gil Van Bokkelen, chief executive of Athersys and chairman of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
'As you see things getting closer and closer to that tipping point, you're going to see a frenzy of activity take place.'
Many of the trials focus on heart disease and inflammatory conditions, some of the biggest markets in medicine. The cells used are derived from adult tissue such as fat, or bone marrow, thereby circumventing the ethical concerns raised by the use of cells derived from embryos.
With Geron's recent exit from the embryonic stem cell industry all together and the continued success and progress using adult stem cells from sources such as cord blood, adipose tissues, and the placenta just to name a few, a "revolution in medicine" is not at all far-fetched. It is becoming clear that the use of adult stem cells and their abilities to regenerate into many different types of tissues, blood, and other cells will be the stamped with the "physician treatment of choice" in the not so distant future. Some of the most promising studies are in diseases that are some of the most common afflicting men and women today. This is just always my opinion but I am going to pull out my crystal ball and give you a look into the future of what I think we will see. Here is a list of potential future applications that are in clinical trials or not far from it and may be coming to a treatment center near you sooner than later. The list below are potential future applications using umbilical cord blood stem cells.
1. Alzheimer’s Disease | 7. Multiple Sclerosis |
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