Familiar with that phrase? Well, Scientists have given this saying a whole new meaning… A future where damaged spinal cords can be regenerated through the medical application of stem cells isn’t as far away as it once seemed…
So what is a stem cell?
Stem cells are cells produced by the bone marrow that can differentiate into a specialised cell type, and are even capable of self renewal. They can be isolated from adult tissues or grown within a laboratory. The stem cells that are isolated from adult tissues are referred to as multipotent, meaning they can only change into a particular type of cell. We also get pluripotent stem cells, which are often derived from embryonic cells. However, these can cause quite the debate, with views on ethics differing. Therefore, the use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) is often preferred. Like embryonic stem cells, IPSCs are also pluripotent, meaning they can divide indefinitely and differentiate into almost any cell type, but they don’t raise the same ethical concerns due to originating from adult tissue.
Restoring mobility and function to those with spinal cord injuries
Therapies involving stem cells hold great promise for treating a variety of medical conditions, particularly spinal cord injuries. Stem cells taken from a patient’s skin or blood cells are used to create IPSCs. These are then coaxed into becoming progenitor cells, which are specialised to differentiate into spinal cord cells. Once these progenitor cells are transplanted back into the patient, they can regenerate part of the injured spinal cord, offering hope for recovery. Sounds great, right?
What could possibly go wrong?
Undifferentiated IPSCs pose a risk to patients, with a chance of forming tumours. This limits the therapy’s safety and efficacy, questioning the future of stem cell treatment. Luckily, researchers have developed what’s known as a microfluidic cell sorter, which you can imagine to be like a sieve. This device removes undifferentiated cells without harming fully-formed progenitor cells. It can sort over 3 million cells per minute and can be scaled up by chaining multiple devices together, sorting more than 500 million cells per minute! Plus, the plastic chip that houses the sorter can be mass-produced at low cost, making widespread implementation feasible. Cheap and cheerful!
So how does it work?
The microfluidic cell sorter operates based on the size difference between residual, undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and progenitor cells. Pluripotent stem cells tend to be larger because they have numerous active genes within their nuclei. As cells pass through microfluidic channels at high speeds, centrifugal forces separate them based on their size. By running the sorter multiple times at different speeds, researchers are able to remove these larger cells that are associated with a higher tumour risk. Problem solved!
The future…
Although the sorter doesn’t eliminate 100% of undifferentiated cells, it significantly reduces the risk, massively enhancing the safety of stem cell treatments. Further studies including large-scale experiments and animal models are underway to validate these findings. If successful, this sorter could improve efficacy and safety, paving the way for broader applications of this revolutionary technique. The development of this microfluidic cell sorter shows a significant advancement in the field of stem cell therapy. It brings us closer to realising the full potential of stem cells and the use of other regenerative medicines for conditions like spinal cord injuries. With research ongoing and technological innovations forever evolving, the future of improved healthcare looks promising.
Looks like you will be able to grow a backbone after all…
Links:
https://stemcellthailand.org/induced-pluripotent-stem-cells-ips-ipscs-hipscs/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7EN6l9wqDU
https://cells4life.com/2024/02/the-tiny-device-set-to-improve-stem-cell-therapy/
This is a good informative blog. It is clearly well researched. It could be improved by taking a more reflective approach. What have you learned when researching this topic? What are your opinions on the ethical considerations? What surprised you when researching this topic?