The hard cell

Professor Colin McGuckin is professor of regenerative medicine at Newcastle University, UK. His team was the first to characterise a harvesting and culture strategy to produce embryonic stem cells from umbilical cord blood, and the first to grow an organ from umbilical cord stem cells cultured in vitro. Here, he tells Medical Times about the future of stem cell research and why the Middle East should start investing now.

Breakthroughs ofthe beta variety

Our first real breakthrough was to create nervous tissue. And then, as sometimes can funnily happen, we made liver. I have to say that we didn't think it was real. But after replication, we realised it really was.

The biggest success we've had in the last two to three years is in making pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells. Before then, no one really believed we could take these cells and treat type 1 diabetes - it was thought only embryonic stem cells could do that. Admittedly, it's not a cure so far. But what it does mean, for patients who have to be injected daily, is a potential treatment break for up to six months. For children, that is an amazing achievement.

Pillar of the community

We don't believe stem cells are the answer to everything. But in the future, we do believe that it will sit neatly beside surgery and pharmaceuticals and that these will be the three main pillars of medical science. And stem cells will be used as a treatment therapy together with some of those categories.

From bench to bedside

Not a day goes by, including this morning when I checked my email, that someone doesn't write to me from somewhere in the world asking; ‘Can you help me?' And we have to be honest. But working in cord blood 20 years ago, there was really only one type of disease that was curable. Now there are over 85 clinical diseases either treatable or supportable. We are not at all interested in research for the sake of it. We're only interested in that which will impact on patients.

The ethics of embryonics

For me, the unnecessary row over stem cells has obscured the very real issue that patients are waiting to be treated. Some of those can be, here and now with cord blood. Cord blood has no ethical controversies whatsoever - it's accepted by every major religion on the planet. The best estimates of the embryonic scientists in our own university in Newcastle is that embryonic stem cells may not be able to help people this side of 50 years. That's my lifetime. And that's worrying. We can't wait that long.

Banking for the future

Society doesn't always keep pace with science. I think Dubai needs to think very carefully, as I do believe that stem cells will be one of the pillars of future medicine. If they haven't put money into this and thought about this, then they won't be able to treat patients.

They will travel abroad for this care, which will cost the government a lot more money. You can't think about these things in narrow terms, but in terms of the future. And in health economics terms - you will save money and patients by planning ahead with stem cells.

Public and private promotion

Should we find a cure for something, if there are no cord blood stores then no one is going to get help. That's why I believe it is so important to have both public and private banks. Not only because they might be able to help the children that develop diabetes or liver disease later in life, but because, for my generation, none of us have cord blood stored. That's another reason why we need to have cord blood banks. Should you develop liver disease, there will be a cord blood that can be matched to you.

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