About Us | Press Releases | 2008 | March 14

STEM CELLS TO BRING ABOUT NEW WAYS TO THINK ABOUT DISEASE AND THERAPIES

Janet Rossant, Ph.D., FRS, FRSC addressed the BIO IT Coalition on March 12 at the Canadian Embassy.  The state of stem cell research in Canada was reviewed in a presentation entitled "Stem Cells and New Approaches to Understanding Human Disease."  Dr. Rossant, a premier Canadian scientist, is Chief of Research at The Hospital for Sick Children and Professor of Molecular genetics, University of Toronto and is also the Deputy Director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network.  "Canadian scientists have written half of the world's most significant stem cell research papers in the past 50 years," reported Dr. Rossant.

Pluripotent cells, such as embryonic stem cells, have the potential to create copies of any cell.  Embryonic stem cells are the type stirring most of the excitement and the negativity.  These cells hold much promise for the creation of future therapies to manage and repair disease, but are "not ready for prime time" according to Dr, Rossant.  Restricted stem cells, such as bone marrow cells which are already used therapeutically, are those which produce only specific and limited types of cells.  Other examples of natural stem cells exist in tissues like skin and the intestines which replace themselves every day.  Another non-controversial source for mining stem cells is the umbilical cord.  Also, scientists in Japan have created induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by adding a set of four specific genes to adult human skin cells.

Researchers are finding out more about how the human body works as they pursue new ways to build cells and treat diseases like strokes, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, sickle cell and cancers.  Stem cell concepts will drive new ways to think about disease and treatments in the future.  Furthermore, the study of stem cells will bring about other advances, including: (i) a new understanding of the stem cell nature of cancer; (ii) drugs to promote endogenous or self repair; (iii) personal therapies modeled by accessing an individual's cells; (iv) new cell types to screen and test for disease; and (v) many international business partnerships based on the new therapies of the future.  Therapies are already on the horizon for diabetes and sickle cell disease."

Stem cell approaches are also being used to managing disease.  To optimize the translation of research into clinical and commercial applications, an international approach must be taken.  The value of stem cell networks working as catalysts for cross border partnerships is immeasurable.  According to Dr. Rossant, "effective clinical therapies arising from stem cell research will only advance in an environment of concurrent policy discussion and debate and multinational cooperation in business and science issues."

The difference between embryonic stem cell research in the US and Canada is that public NIH funded projects can only be used to work on a small number of existing stem cell lines.  In the US privately funded research is unregulated.  In Canada, public and private research projects are regulated in the same way, but can use all currently available and newly developed cell lines.  The limited supply of these cell lines for publicly supported research in the US will change in January of '09 with the new U.S. administration, since all three contenders are supportive of embryonic stem cell research.

Valérie La Traverse, Science and Technology Counselor for the Embassy, welcomed the BIO IT Coalition to a sumptuous lunch and introduced Dr. Rossant.  Ms. La Traverse also mentioned major technologies which originated in Canada, including the Blackberry, and abundant medical research.  To which Dr. Rossant responded jokingly, "So, just like the South Park song, blame Canada, for Blackberries and stem cells."

The BIO IT Coalition is a non-profit organization which bridges the life sciences and information technology industries through interactive, content driven events that highlight innovation, investment, collaboration and partnership to build the bio IT industry.  For more information about the Coalition and its monthly programs and more, visit http://www.bioitcoalition.org.