Adult stem cell conference in Galway

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The Regenerative Medicine Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, in collaboration with the UK Stem Cell Society held a two-day international stem cell conference in the Bailey Allen Hall in NUI Galway on the 29^th and 30th October.

World-renowned experts from the field of stem cell science attended the conference, which focused on the latest developments in basic science and translational aspects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) research in Ireland, the UK and worldwide.

MSCs, are adult stem cells which posess enormous potential.

Prof Frank Barry the Scientific Director of REMEDI, the Regenerative Medicine Institute at NUI Galway, told the conference that clinical trials would begin on a number of MSC projects next year. These will include trials in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease and osteoarthritis followed in 2016 by trials in treatments for corneal transplants and diabetic ulcers.

It is a great pity however that this conference was marred by calls for embryonic stem cell research which ignores the fact that human embryos must be killed for such research to be carried out.

Despite the fact that such major strides have been made in the production of adult stem cells and that millions of dollars have been wasted on attempts to manipulate embryonic stem cells without any success researchers brush aside both the ethical concerns and the lack of success and still insist that embryonic stem cell research is essential.

According to a report in the Irish Independent on Oct 30th Prof Barry said that, while Ireland is at the front of research in adult stem cell projects and can compete internationally, it has made "little contribution" to the area of embryonic stem cell research. Professor Barry acknowledged that he was aware of objections to the process on the basis of ethical concerns but believed such research could give rise to important treatments and should be developed in Ireland.

 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in an address to participants at a conference arranged by the Pontifical Academy for Life in 2011 on adult stem cells told them that,

“(T) those who advocate research on embryonic stem cells in the hope of achieving such a result make the grave mistake of denying the inalienable right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death. The destruction of even one human life can never be justified in terms of the benefit that it might conceivably bring to another.”

Extracts from the address by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI are set out below

"Since human beings are endowed with immortal souls and are created in the image and likeness of God, there are dimensions of human existence that lie beyond the limits of what the natural sciences are competent to determine. If these limits are transgressed, there is a serious risk that the unique dignity and inviolability of human life could be subordinated to purely utilitarian considerations. But if instead these limits are duly respected, science can make a truly remarkable contribution to promoting and safeguarding the dignity of man".

  "In this sense, the potential benefits of adult stem cell research are very considerable, since it opens up possibilities for healing chronic degenerative illnesses by repairing damaged tissue. ... The improvement that such therapies promise would constitute a significant step forward in medical science, bringing fresh hope to sufferers and their families alike. For this reason, the Church naturally offers her encouragement to those who are engaged in conducting and supporting research of this kind, always with the proviso that it be carried out with due regard for the integral good of the human person and the common good of society.

[…] When the end in view is one so eminently desirable as the discovery of a cure for degenerative illnesses, it is tempting for scientists and policy-makers to brush aside ethical objections and to press ahead with whatever research seems to offer the prospect of a breakthrough. Those who advocate research on embryonic stem cells in the hope of achieving such a result make the grave mistake of denying the inalienable right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death. The destruction of even one human life can never be justified in terms of the benefit that it might conceivably bring to another.[...]

  "Yet, in general, no such ethical problems arise when stem cells are taken from the tissues of an adult organism, from the blood of the umbilical cord at the moment of birth".

Galway facility to produce adult stem cells

In a major stride forward in the area of stem cell production, the Irish Independent reports that a new facility, attached to University College Galway, has been licensed for the production of adult stem cells.

It is good to see that this initiative is based on the culture of adult stem cells for the production of therapies bearing in mind that the use of  adult stem cells is perfectly ethical, as compared to the unethical and controversial research using embryonic stem cells that involves destruction of existing human embryos.

The Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland (CCMI) was granted the license to operate by the Irish Medicines Board, and will now proceed with stem cell research at the university.

This is the first facility to be licensed in Ireland for the purpose of manufacturing adult stem cells.

According to the Independent report

The groundbreaking facility will enable some patients with arthritis and diabetes to access clinical trials of stem cell therapies.

The Irish Medicines Board has granted the license to the new Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland at NUIG.

The centre aims to culture adult stem cells to tackle conditions like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.

The centre is one of less than half a dozen across Europe in academic centres.

Stem cells are human cells that can develop into many types of tissue, and they serve as the body’s repair mechanism.

The Galway facility will take small samples of bone marrow from adult donors and these will then be cultured to make billions of stem cells.

The cells will then be injected back into the donor.

The first trial in Ireland will investigate how they help diabetes patients who are suffering reduced blood flow to lower limbs.

New report on human cloning and production of embryonic stem cells

According to news reports there has been a new breakthrough in human cloning using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) which has been used to clone an embryo or embryos for the production of stem cells. US scientists claim that this marks a "significant step" for medicine. A team at the Oregon Health and Science University, according reports, have developed the embryo to the blastocyst stage - around 150 cells – which they claim is enough to provide a source of embryonic stem cells.

This practice however is completely unethical in that living human embryos are being deliberately brought into being and then destroyed in the process of stem cell production.

The study, published in the journal Cell says the methods used were similar to those  used by Ian Wilmut to clone Dolly the sheep in the UK.

According to the reports the cloned embryos were used as a source of stem cells, which, according to the report, can in theory make new heart muscle, bone, brain tissue or any other type of cell in the body.  Major problems have been experienced in the past however in the manipulation of embryonic stem cells in mice, resulting in cancerous growths where the stem cells were injected.

The United Nations General Assembly in 2005  approved an International Convention against this kind of research in which it called on all member states to “prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life. (A/59/516/Add.1)
This kind of research known as therapeutic cloning is not only unethical it is unsafe and is also unnecessary because of the significant progress made in recent years in the production of adult stem cells and their use in treating many ailments.

Some adult/umbilical cord stem cell treatments are now used in routine clinical practice. But most remain experimental. For example, trials are currently underway in human patients with "severe" multiple sclerosis using the patients' own blood stem cells. After three years, the study reported, adult stem cells were "able to induce a prolonged clinical stabilization in severe progressive MS patients," meaning the disease stopped advancing, "resulting in both sustained treatment-free periods and quality-of-life improvements."
Another area of great hope for adult stem cell therapy comes from using a patient's olfactory tissues, found in the nasal cavity, to treat paralysis caused by spinal cord injury. Peer-reviewed animal studies previously highlighted great potential for this technique. For example, olfactory tissues have "promoted partial restoration of function" in paralyzed rats.

This new report follows a number of previous bogus claims that stem cells have been produced by SCNT, the most infamous one being that made by the disgraced South Korean scientist, Hwang Woo-suk, who also claimed to have created stem cells from cloned human embryos, but was found to have faked the evidence.

Similar reports are repeated with such regularity that they have now almost become a mantra: "Embryonic stem cells" we are told "offer the most promise for finding cures" for degenerative diseases and conditions such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury. Continually repeating something however doesn't make it true and time will tell whether this new claim is actually real or another bogus claim in order to attract funding for the unethical research.

Good News on the Stem Cell front

There have been a number of good news stories regarding the development of treatments using adult stem cells while at the same time attempts to produce stem cells from embryos has faltered. 

For the first time, stem cells from patients' own hearts have been shown to battle heart failure. In a small study of 16 patients, cardiac stem cells improved heart function and reduced the amount of tissue damage in patients with heart failure -- a disabling and lethal condition caused by the death of heart muscle tissue.

The research, carried out at the University of Louisville and published in the Lancet, found the heart’s blood-pumping efficiency increased in 14 patients whilst at the same time the amount of dead heart muscle tissue decreased. 

By contrast the Geron corporation this week announced that it will cease attempts to produce embryonic stem cells using human embryos. The company cited loss of interest from investors as its reason for this decision. Investment has shifted away from embryonic to adult stem cell research because of the great strides that have been made in the development of treatments using a patient’s own stem cells.

The significance of the progress in the area of adult stem cells is set out in a BLOG post by Dr Peter Saunders which I have included in full below and is accessible on this link

It has been an amazing week in the field of stem cell technology with five big stories hitting the news all at once. New doors of therapeutic promise are opening whilst at the same time other doors are slamming shut.

I recently highlighted a New Scientist editorial, ‘In praise of stem-cell simplicity’ which gives a fantastic overview of exciting new avenues in ethical stem cell research which are opening up. But the speed of new developments has increased by leaps and bounds just in the last few days.

Stem cells are naturally occurring cells in the body which have the capacity to develop into a variety of specialist cells. They have been recognized for well over a decade as having huge potential in the treatment of diseases where is there is tissue or cell loss – such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal injury and heart disease.

The reason stem cells are so controversial is that the harvesting of embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of existing embryos and yet some British scientists have for years maintained that they are essential for research.

On the other hand, other scientists have argued that stem cells derived from ethical sources (adult stem cells, umbilical stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells) are safer than embryonic stem cells and have greater therapeutic potential.

Both adult stem cells (from bone marrow and other body tissues) and umbilical stem cells are already used in treatment for a wide variety of haematological and other conditions. By contrast the first clinical trials using embryonic stem cells have only just recently begun.

In addition to this iPS cells, which appear to have all the characteristics of embryonic stem cells, can now be produced by stimulating ordinary body cells to revert to an earlier developmental stage without having to destroy embryos.

What has happened this week is that there have been some fantastic advances in using stem cells from ethical sources whilst at the same time a huge setback for embryonic stem cell technology. It appears that ethical stem cell research is opening more and more doors whilst unethical research using embryos is foundering. These developments are another nail in the coffin for the misinformation and hype that the British public have been fed by the British press on these issues for so long.

For the first time, adult stem cells from patients’ own heart have been shown to improve heart failure.

In the research, carried out at the University of Louisville and published in the Lancet the heart’s blood-pumping efficiency in 14 patients who responded to the stem cell treatment, increased from 30.3% to 38.5% whilst at the same time the amount of dead heart muscle tissue decreased by 24% percent over four months. Seven control patients who did not receive the stem cell treatment showed no improvement.

Second, the doctors behind the world’s first transplant of an artificial windpipe made from a patient’s own stem cells are to begin clinical trials next year on a stem-cell ‘bandage’ for mending torn knee cartilage.

Professor Anthony Hollander of the University of Bristol, who helped save the life of a Colombian woman, Claudia Castillo, with the transplant of a tissue-engineered windpipe, will lead a team treating patients with torn knee cartilages, a common problem among sportspeople. The doctors aim to transplant stem cells derived from a patient’s bone marrow on to a damaged knee joint, where it is hoped the cells will act like a repairing bandage to mend the tissue.

Third, Embryonic-like stem cells have been isolated from breast milk in large numbers. The discovery raises the possibility of sourcing embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine, without the need to destroy embryos.

Peter Hartmann at the University of Western Australia in Crawley and his colleagues first announced the discovery of stem cells in breast milk in 2008. Now they have grown them in the lab and shown that they can turn into cells representative of all three embryonic germ layers, called the endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm – a defining property of embryonic stem cells (ESC).

Embryonic-like stem cells have previously been discovered in amniotic fluid and in the umbilical cord, but this is the first time they have been discovered in an adult. Chris Mason of University College London has said, ‘If they are truly embryonic, this would be another way of getting stem cells that would not raise ethical concerns.’

Fourth, Scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine have demonstrated that baby mice in utero can heal their mothers’ heart disease. They found that foetal stem cells from the placenta, which they had marked with green fluorescent protein, travelled to the pregnant mother’s heart and were transformed into a variety of cells to repair cardiac damage. This may help to explain a phenomenon seen in previous studies where one in two women with peripartum cardiomyopathy spontaneously recovered after pregnancy.

The director of cardiovascular regenerative medicine at the institution, Dr Hina Chaudhry, has described it as ‘an exciting development that has far-reaching therapeutic potential’. The findings, which are published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation Research, could help researchers find a stem cell treatment for heart disease.

Finally, the company doing the much-heralded first trial on embryonic stem cell therapy is discontinuing further stem cell work.

Geron, a pioneer in stem cell research that has been testing a potential spinal cord injury treatment, said late Monday that it’s halting development of its stem cell programs to conserve funds. It is seeking partners to take on the programs’ assets and is laying off 66 staff, 38% of its entire workforce.

Those scientists who have been singing the praises of embryonic stem cells most loudly are, perhaps predictably, expressing their disappointment. The firm is claiming that its decision is ‘purely financial’ but John Martin, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at University College London has said: ‘The Geron trial had no real chance of success because of the design and the disease targeted. It was an intrinsically flawed study… The first trials of stem cell that will give an answer are our own in the heart. The heart is an organ that can give quantitative data of quality.’

Josephine Quintavalle from the group CORE (Comment on Reproductive Ethics) was rather more frank: ‘At long last after 10 years of unremitting hype, reality has caught up with embryonic stem cell claims. If Geron is abandoning this project it is because it is simply not working, despite the millions of dollars and hot air that has been invested in the promotion of this research.’

So in summary, this has been a week where ethical stem cell research has marched on whilst embryonic stem cell work has ground to a halt. What were perhaps always blind alleys are now closing but new highways of promise are opening ever and ever wider.

The best and most effective treatments are also ethical treatments. Maybe that is the most important lesson to learn from all this.

 

SAVING ONE LIFE CANNOT JUSTIFY DESTROYING ANOTHER: POPE BENEDICT XVI

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI received participants, at a conference on adult stem cells in audience, on Saturday last, Nov 12^th. The three-day conference "Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture", was promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture in collaboration with the U.S. Stem for Life Foundation.

Vatican Information Services published extracts from the Holy Fathers address and some are included below:

  "Since human beings are endowed with immortal souls and are created in the image and likeness of God, there are dimensions of human existence that lie beyond the limits of what the natural sciences are competent to determine. If these limits are transgressed, there is a serious risk that the unique dignity and inviolability of human life could be subordinated to purely utilitarian considerations. But if instead these limits are duly respected, science can make a truly remarkable contribution to promoting and safeguarding the dignity of man".

  "In this sense, the potential benefits of adult stem cell research are very considerable, since it opens up possibilities for healing chronic degenerative illnesses by repairing damaged tissue. ... The improvement that such therapies promise would constitute a significant step forward in medical science, bringing fresh hope to sufferers and their families alike. For this reason, the Church naturally offers her encouragement to those who are engaged in conducting and supporting research of this kind, always with the proviso that it be carried out with due regard for the integral good of the human person and the common good of society.

[…] When the end in view is one so eminently desirable as the discovery of a cure for degenerative illnesses, it is tempting for scientists and policy-makers to brush aside ethical objections and to press ahead with whatever research seems to offer the prospect of a breakthrough. Those who advocate research on embryonic stem cells in the hope of achieving such a result make the grave mistake of denying the inalienable right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death. The destruction of even one human life can never be justified in terms of the benefit that it might conceivably bring to another.[...]

  "Yet, in general, no such ethical problems arise when stem cells are taken from the tissues of an adult organism, from the blood of the umbilical cord at the moment of birth".