Granted, the human body has the ability to heal and defend itself against diseases. However, regenerative medicine can accelerate the mentioned ability. According to the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the aim is to find new ways of treating diseases and injuries. To achieve this goal, researchers are focusing on four critical areas. These are:
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
Although there have been many medical advances over the years, some diseases are still incurable. These include multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer?s disease, and heart diseases. To treat these diseases effectively, doctors need to give patients new organs. Traditionally, doctors have relied on organ transplants to give ailing patients a new lease of life. However, there is no guarantee that a patient?s body will accept the new organ. To counter the rejection of foreign organs, researchers are growing new organs using human cells and biomaterials. Although most of these efforts are in the clinical trial stage, the aim is to surmount obstacles such organ rejections in the future.
Cellular Therapies
In most cases, treatments for diseases such as cancer and leukemia affect healthy cells as well. For leukemia patients, only a compatible donor can help. The regenerative medicine approach is to use a patient?s own cells. A good source of these cells is the umbilical cord. In the US, some people are storing umbilical cord blood for use later.
Artificial Organs and Medical Devices
Replacing diseased organs is not a straightforward affair. In some cases, patients have to wait for long periods before a suitable donor materializes. During this period, doctors use medical devices to keep the patients alive. If it is possible to regenerate the organ, there is no need for a donor.
Clinical Translation
This involves using promising therapies to treat patients. On this front, the goal of regenerative medicine is to cure diseases such as diabetes, and heart conditions. The cost of treating these two conditions in the US tops $510 billion every year.
In many parts of the developed world, diseases such as arthritis and degenerative disorders have become widespread. In addition, injuries sustained in car accidents can reduce quality of life significantly. Advances in regenerative medicine offer new ways of treating osteoporosis, cancer, urinary tract failures, nervous system complications, and diabetes. While most of these are at the experimental stage, patients have benefited from a few. To be precise, doctors have already grafted skin grown using a patient?s own cells.
Author Profile
The author has extensive knowledge of advances in the field of regenerative medicine. This includes stem cell research and therapies
Source: http://www.naturallyyoursmd.com/a-quick-overview-of-regenerative-medicine/
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