ARLINGTON, Va., May 27, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The use of adult stem cells promises to grow as the controversy over the use of human embryonic stem cells remains a hotbed political, ethical and religious issue. At the upcoming 2005 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists’ (AAPS) National Biotechnology Conference in San Francisco, embryonic and adult-derived stem cells will take center stage as the nation’s leading scientists discuss how their research can be immediately applied to create therapies for cancer, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, cystic fibrosis, and bone injuries.
As the nation continues to debate the ethics and efficacy of using human embryonic stem cells, scientists will demonstrate how the use of adult stem cells has opened the door to groundbreaking therapies including the use of muscle stem cells for arthritis and umbilical cord blood for leukemia.
“Since the first bone marrow transplant was carried out more than 30 years ago, non-embryonic stem cells have been used effectively to benefit and save thousands of lives,” said Gary S. Friedman, M.D., F.A.C.P., director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine in Morristown, New Jersey. “While embryonic stem cells are a source of controversy and uncertainty, adult-derived stem cells are already being used to successfully treat cancer, anemia and connective tissue diseases.”
The application of non-embryonic stem cells will be highlighted as Johnny Huard, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine reveals that his team has recently discovered a unique population of muscle-derived stem cells that offer the potential of regenerating tissue. The discovery of these cells will benefit patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, arthritis, and joint injuries.
“Transplant of muscle-derived stem cells has improved the efficiency of dystrophic muscle regeneration,” said Dr. Huard. “We are excited to continue testing this technology and hopefully improve the lives of people with damaged or diseased tissues.”
The use of non-embryonic stem cells will also be the focus as Philip A. Lowry, M.D., associate professor of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Massachusetts, discusses the use of umbilical cord blood to treat leukemia. While bone marrow transplant has been a common treatment of leukemia for almost four decades, Dr. Lowry will present how transplanting umbilical cord blood can offer the same benefits with greater access and availability.
“New types of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine can potentially provide treatments for a wider variety of diseases than traditional bone marrow and organ transplantation methods,” said Dr. Lowry. “The major challenge we’re facing today is the availability of viable cell sources we could use to fully research these possibilities.”
“We’re making enormous progress with stem cells,” said David V. Schaffer, Ph.D., associate professor of Chemical Engineering and Neuroscience at University of California at Berkeley. “While there are still issues to overcome, non-embryonic stem cells are already yielding results that can impact thousands of lives in the relatively near future.”
The AAPS National Biotechnology Conference is an annual event that incorporates all aspects of the pharmaceutical sciences and provides an open forum for discussion of hot industry topics. The conference will take place at the San Francisco Marriott, June 5 – 8.