The fuss about stem cells

CEBU, Philippines - Just recently, news of the Vatican allocating resources for stem cell research flooded the papers, both here and abroad. The reason? Apparently the world’s most influential religious congregation and the most vocal critic of stem cell research has realized the potential of stem cells in treating countless diseases all over the globe.

However, the kind of stem cell research that the Catholic Church is putting their resources into is on the study of adult intestinal stem cells and not of embryonic stem cells, which it maintains to be immoral as the latter is tantamount to the killing of human life.

It should be noted that there are two types of stem cells.

According to the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, embryonic stem cells, as the name suggests, are derived from embryos. Mostly, the cells that are being used for research were developed from eggs that have been fertilized inside a test tube and not from eggs fertilized inside a woman’s body.

Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are undifferentiated cells found together with differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. The main function of these cells is to repair or maintain the tissue where they are found. Most adult stem cells being used for research comes from the bone marrow, cord blood, and the epithelial stem cells in the intestines.

The problem with adult stem cells, though, is that the low viability for the success of the cells to turn into other cell types other than that from which they were harvested, which means that skin stem cells can turn into hair follicle and skin but not into blood cells. Hematopoietic cells, on the other hand, can be turned into blood cells, but less likely to be made into skin cells.

Still, because of the non-invasive nature of the harvesting of most adult stem cells, excitement is growing in the field of research trying to come up with solutions in making it even more pluripotent (which means it is able to differentiate into other cells aside from that which they are destined to become).

Stem cells as a treatment

As the debate on stem cells continues, many well meaning individuals and health care practitioners are not wasting any time to popularize the use of stem cells in the treatment of many diseases.

Early this year, CordLife Medical Philippines, Inc. (www.cordlife.com/ph) opened its first facility at UP-AyalaLand Technohub in Diliman, Quezon City. The company can store up to 20,000 cord blood units and their service includes the collection of cord blood, processing, testing, transportation, and preservation in cryopreservation tanks that are kept below -165o C, which is in accordance to international standards.

Dr. Cherie Daly, head for Group Medical Affairs of CordLife underlined the importance of the preservation of cord blood stem cells as it can be used as part of a treatment regimen in curing countless diseases.

Daly said that since the first stem cell transplant using umbilical cord blood in 1998, “approximately 14,000 cord blood transplants have been performed for over 80 different diseases.”

In fact, the National Marrow Donor Programme in the U.S. have forecasted the transplantation of cord blood stem cell to be at 10,000 annually by 2015.

So, why cord blood?

Daly explained that cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, which is usually thrown away following the delivery of the baby. She clarified that the collection of the cord blood would not interfere or obstruct in the birthing process and so, would not pose any risk on both the mother or the child.

Once collected, blood will then be extracted from the umbilical cord. After which, the blood will be processed and the stem cells extracted. Using Sepax Technology in the processing of the cord blood, CordLife’s Group Chief Executive Officer Steven Fang said that as high as 96 percent of the cells from cord blood can be recovered, ensuring that one would have ample amount of cord blood stem cells in storage, just in case it will be needed.

Daly highlighted that the need for stem cell transplantation might be higher than was previously thought, citing industry estimates at 1 in 200 people. And since stem cells from cord blood apparently has lower rejection rate, with 100 percent compatibility for the baby and 75 percent for siblings, it obviously is the best choice for sourcing stem cells for cellular therapy.

According to Fang, cord blood stem cells are already being used around the globe for the treatment of cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, as well as other blood-related disorders.

He said, “New clinical advancements around the world are also unlocking the autologous use of cord blood stem cells for cellular therapy to help repair damaged or diseased tissue.”

“We believe that with sufficient clinical evidence of successful therapies, more medical options may be available to families who have stored their children’s cord blood,” Fang pointed out.

With the promising results of stem cell research, it is not a wonder why even its staunchest critic would realize that its termination is tantamount to denying thousands, if not millions of sick people of the only treatment that could prove to be effective. After all, stem cells are not isolated to the embryonic kind. It’s just a matter of realizing the potential of other sources of stem cells and using them to the maximum.