What are the benefits of cell medicine?
Cell medicine is a growing field that uses cells to treat diseases. In cell therapy, cells
are injected into the body to treat conditions like cancer or heart disease frontalreport. The cells
used in cell therapy can be either autologous, which come from the patient, or
allogeneic, which come from an outside source.
Stem Cells and Gene Therapies
Stem cells are the basic building blocks of all life, including humans. They can
develop into a variety of specialized cells and tissues, making them an essential tool
in medical research.
Researchers are developing ways to make stem cells that can be used to replace or
repair damaged cells and tissue, called regenerative therapies. They can be injected
or implanted into the body and help to rebuild or repair damaged tissues, improve a
diseased immune system, or improve nerve and muscle function.
They can also be genetically altered and coaxed into becoming a specific type of
cell, called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs. This new method may allow
scientists to produce embryonic-like stem cells without the risk of genetic defects.
The latest research on stem cells has focused on adult stem cells that have been
reprogrammed to have the same properties of embryonic stem cells. These
reprogrammed adult stem cells have shown promise for use in treating neurological
and heart disease.
These reprogrammed adult stem cells can be cultivated in the laboratory and
infused into patients. This research is paving the way for the future of regenerative
therapies and will allow patients to receive treatments that have the potential to
improve their quality of life.
Cell Therapy and Immune Cell Therapy
The most widely accepted and proven form of cell therapy is a specialized immune
cell that is engineered to recognize unique molecules that are found on an
individual’s cancer. This type of immune cell is called a chimeric antigen receptor
(CAR) T-cell and has been shown to work well for some people with lymphoma or
leukemia, particularly when combined with a cytotoxic agent.
Another immune cell, a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL), has been shown to be an
effective treatment for certain types of melanoma and breast cancer. This cell can
detect and attack cancer cells even when they relapse after several years of
successful treatment.
Other types of cells are still under study for their potential to treat diseases, such as
bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells that can be harvested from a person’s
own bloodstream and then reprogrammed into the specific type of cell needed to
repair or replace diseased organs. These hematopoietic stem cells can be
transplanted into the bone marrow to treat leukemia and other blood-related
diseases.
These hematopoietic stem cell transplants are a critical element of cancer
treatment, helping to reduce the growth and spread of cancerous tumors and
improve quality of life for patients who have had no other form of cancer treatment.
Other cell therapies are being developed for different types of diseases, such as
those that affect the skin, muscles and immune systems.