It was originally thought that the only cells capable of differentiating into a variety of organs (a.k.a. pluripotent stem cells) were those obtained from embryos. But researchers recently announced that they have successfully engineered stem cells from human blood – a breakthrough that could revolutionize how we diagnose and treat disease.
Induced pluripotent stem cells, as they are called, can generate heart, liver, nerve, or any other type of tissue found in the body. They can be used to study specific mechanisms of diseases or model how a diverse population will respond to a certain drug therapy. In fact, the reprogrammed cells are already being used commercially for testing the toxicity of drugs.
But by far, the greatest hope for stem cells is in treating many conditions that are currently incurable, such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. So the company has plans to develop a “biobank” where people can store stem cells generated from their own blood DNA for use if and when they need them in the future.
This could prove to be exciting for the future of stem cell therapy. What are your thoughts? Do you think this practice will be embraced?
Tags: Burrus, Dan Burrus, Daniel Burrus, Future Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare Breakthrough, pluripotent stem cells, Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cells, Stem Cells From Blood
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