More than 1,000 diseases focus of research in regenerative medicine
Scientists say that cell therapy will make it possible to modify the natural history of diseases
Regenerative medicine, which has advanced exponentially over the past years, is leading to a paradigm shift in how many diseases are treated. There are now more than one thousand diseases that are the focus of research in regenerative medicine.
These are some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the sessions held at CosmoCaixa Barcelona and the Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST) organized by B·Debate –an initiative of Biocat and the “la Caixa” Foundation– with collaboration from the BST as the scientific partner for this event. Researchers and experts from around the world met for two days in Barcelona to present studies and results and debate the latest advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced cell therapy.
There are currently some 20,000 clinical trials underway around the world. This means that for each type of cell there are some 500 active studies. Moreover, according to the predictions of Joan García, scientific leader of this B·Debate and director of Xcelia (the BST advanced therapies division), “over the coming decade we’ll see a lot happening. If we can show that these therapies are effective, the national health systems will adopt them.”
The areas that have advanced the most according to the results presented by the researchers are hematology and cancer, and from the standpoint of regenerative medicine, this is now possible with the bladder, urethra and other small tissues. Research into the heart, liver and kidneys is also advancing.
Dr. Garcia explains that in speaking about the research being carried out in Catalonia and Spain, we must mention noteworthy advances in regenerating the surface of the eye, regenerating skin from synthetic skin, bones and cartilage.