Importance of the Technology
For decades, scientists have postulated that the development of cellular- and genetic-based medical therapies holds significant promise for curing many diseases and serious injuries. Scientists have always considered cellular and genetic therapeutics to be "of the body": These therapies would traffic through the body naturally and would be less toxic and more effective than traditional drugs. Hoping to tap into these distinct advantages, scientists have, over the years, attempted to gain specialized knowledge of the human body at the molecular level, with the eventual aim of producing therapeutically effective products. In November 1998, two research groups from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland) and the University of Wisconsin–Madison—with financing from Geron Corporation—isolated a cell that had the potential to generate any cell type that exists in the human body. This breakthrough announcement from the researchers ended a quiet, controversial, and underfunded 17-year search for the human embryonic stem cell. Embryonic stem cells are nonaging and infinitely self-renewing: These cells can self-replicate indefinitely in culture and can develop into any human tissue. According to many scientists, therapeutic cloning or regenerative medicine using embryonic stem cells could—given significant time, funding, and research—enable personalized tissue replacement with the perfect biological matches between donor and recipient. This feat of tissue engineering would obviate rejection of the tissue and eliminate the need for patients to take antirejection drugs for the rest of their lives after surgery.
Many diseases involve irreversible pathological growth or degeneration of a crucial cell type or tissue in the body: Examples include cancers (such as leukemia), heart disease, multiple sclerosis, neurological diseases (such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease), diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and spinal-cord injury. However, the regeneration of failing tissue could reverse the effects of such diseases and perhaps allow patients to make a full recovery. Obviously, the ability to culture and control human stem cells that form specific human tissue has major implications for the heath-care industry, providing the promise of new medical techniques that treat many debilitating and—so far—untreatable diseases. Researchers have already isolated and cultured stem cells—from the nervous system, muscle, cartilage, and bone—and can repair or replace some simple tissues. To date, scientists have created artificial skin, joints, and cartilage and grown blood vessels, corneas, and cardiac and muscle tissues. However, a great deal of research is still necessary to develop cell lines that can generate personalized replacement cells and tissue. As scientists improve their ability to combine living systems at the molecular level, they are increasingly able to design and create new functional materials that might lead to the regeneration of full organs. The key to commercial success of regenerative medicine—although such success is at least 10 to 15 years away—is to discover and develop a reliable in vitro technique that enables researchers to manipulate embryonic stem cells to grow into specific tissue.
Clearly, the field of regenerative medicine is still highly exploratory, with an incomplete knowledge base and inadequate research funding, so the technology could well fall short of its promise. But should embryonic-stem-cell–based regenerative medicine develop to the point that scientists could grow specific, functional tissue, the implications would be far-reaching. Regenerative medicine would improve health care beyond recognition, and treatment of just a few of the above diseases would eradicate some of the most common fatal diseases and disorders that affect the human race today. In such a scenario, regenerative medicine would significantly increase human life expectancy. However, as human life expectancy increases, more people will come to rely on the state for financial assistance and for support during prolonged health and home care. Moreover, the superaged population could experience new health concerns. |
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Importance of the Technology |
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Recent Developments |
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This Technology Map is new. |
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The Technology in Brief |
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Human Pluripotent Stem Cells |
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Biomaterials Scaffolds |
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Growth Factors |
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Nuclear Transplantation |
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Novel Materials |
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Commercial Development Parameters |
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Areas to Monitor |
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Regulatory Issues |
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Legal Issues |
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Safety and Reliability |
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Development Costs |
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Advances in Tissue Engineering |
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Improvements in Engineered-Tissue Strength and Function |
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Improvements in Tissue Biocompatibility |
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Regeneration Speed |
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Techniques to Produce Complex Scaffolds |
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Clinical Trials |
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Xenotransplants |
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Implications of Commercialization |
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Players Create Tissue Banks and Off-the-Shelf Products |
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Legislation and Health-Care Services Accommodate Regenerative Medicine |
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Human Life Expectancy Increases |
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Regenerative Medicine Raises Health Concerns |
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Global Restrictions Slow Regenerative-Medicine Development |
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Applications |
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Dermatology-Tissue Engineering |
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Orthopedic-Tissue Engineering |
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Hematopoietic Engineering |
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Cardiovascular-Tissue Engineering |
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Neurological-Tissue Engineering |
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Players |
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Updates |
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Regenerative Medicine is new. Updates will indicate changes to the Regenerative Medicine Technology Map here. |
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