‘The future of medicine is regenerative medicine’
Director of Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology and the 2019 Mustafa(Pbuh) Prize laureate, delivered a speech on stem cells in the 3rd Mustafa(Pbuh) Prize Science Café.
MSTF Media reports:
The 3rd Mustafa
Prize Science Café, organized by the Mustafa
Science and Technology Foundation, was held on August 28, 2021.
Hossein Baharvand, the 2019 Mustafa
Prize laureate from Islamic countries in Stem Cell Biology and Technology, gave a speech on the application of the science of stem cells.
Starting his speech with a simple description of cells, chromosomes, DNA, and genes, he explained what stem cells are and what features these cells possess compared to other types of cells.
Noting that the greatest number of adult stem cells can be found in bone marrow, he said his research is mainly focused on embryonic stem cells.
As Baharvand stated, embryonic stem cells are capable of growing; they are pluripotent.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) are a type of pluripotent stem cell derived from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into an embryonic-like pluripotent state.
“So we are able to modify these cells genetically and produce different cells from them,” he said.
Pointing to the latest use of this technology, he said the application of this knowledge to COVID-19 was in that they realized this virus enters the cells via ACE2 receptors. Lab mice did not have these receptors, but by using stem cells we made them have it, so that they can be used for preclinical studies of COVID-19 medicines and vaccines.
Baharvand also pointed to application of stem cells in regenerative medicine, including repairing damaged corneas, treating Vitiligo, and treating Gangrene in patients with Diabetes.
“Using stem cells to treat Gangrene, 33 candidates survived out of 40,” he said.
The research he is doing along with his team is focused on treating eye AMD and Parkinson’s disease with stem cells.
He said their study on animals has proved promising and they are entering the next phase.
Baharvand then emphasized that “the future of medicine is regenerative medicine,” highlighting especially the promising interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering.
“We are moving toward personalized treatments worldwide, which are based on the genetics of each person,” he added.
He concluded that it is necessary to remove the boundaries between different fields of science and conduct interdisciplinary research in order to improve the health of people in different societies.
Hossein Baharvand was awarded the 2019 Mustafa
Prize in Stem Cell Biology and Technology for his contributions to “Parkinson’s treatment and Eye AMD with Stem Cells.”
