The development of new therapies to treat different diseases always goes through stages of promise and problems.
There are generally high expectations that the first bit of data appears. These studies are usually followed by new studies that built on the original, and begin to reveal the limits of therapy.
umbilical cord blood for the treatment of hematopoietic diseases has been a slow but steady climb to become a standard of care. It has been over 20 years since the first bone marrow transplant was performed using umbilical cord blood as a source of donor cells. Since then, there has been an exponential growth of umbilical cord blood use worldwide. This steady rise is more an exception than the rule.
In 2006, it was announced that a Japanese group of brilliant scientists managed to turn mature skin cells into embryonic cells (Takahashi, K. & Yamanaka, S. Cell 126, 663- 676 (2006)). These cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells like). This news would have a profound effect on the field of stem cells and heralded a new era for therapies based on cells. Many scientists working with other stem cells such as umbilical cord blood have realized that this new source of skin cells could replace all other sources of stem cells. We visualized cell banks skin instead of umbilical cord blood banks. But like most new scientific discoveries as several laboratories enter the arena and push the boundaries of the surviving applications of technology and other fall into the water. IPS cells have been very successful and are now facing challenges.
Recent studies have shown that iPS cells can develop genetic abnormalities in their production (Hussein, S. M. et al. Nature 471, 58-62 (2011)). This would lead to dangerous cells which are not suitable for transplantation. Another study showed that iPS cells could be rejected, even if transplanted into the person they were drawn from (Nature (2011) doi: 10.1038 / nature10135). This is surprising since it is expected that the own cells would not be rejected. Which once again reveals, during the production of iPS cells, they undergo changes that make them immunologically different from the original cell. Already laboratories are asking questions and trying to find out if this phenomenon is specific to that one experience or is it a general trend for iPS cells?
The science goes in cycles and that several laboratories are beginning to investigate both the mutation and rejection results further, it is likely that the role of iPS cells in the treatment of the disease will be defined. For example, a role for specific iPS cells derived from disease patients will allow scientists to study the development of the disease and get a better understanding of the disease. This will also allow scientists to study the disease in individual patients and tailor treatment to each patient.
Dr. Ian Rogers
Dr. Rogers is a research associate and assistant professor at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board Parent's Guide Cord Blood Foundation and is a scientific advisor Insception Lifebank cord blood program.