HOPE FOR DIABETES, BUT PROPER TRIALS ARE VITAL

WHILE serious questions have been raised about the use of stem cells in unregulated private clinics (see main article), the dream of using them as a ‘repair kit’ for damaged body parts is closer to reality.

Diabetes, osteoarthritis and paralysis from spinal cord damage may all soon be treated with stem cells — master cells that can turn into other cell types — says Brendan Noble, a professor of regenerative medicine at Westminster University and chief scientific officer of the UK Stem Cell Foundation.

One stem cell treatment has been used for decades — bone marrow transplants to treat leukaemia. Here, stem cells are used to replace cancerous cells in the bone marrow, the blood cell ‘factory’ inside bones.

Most transplants centre around ‘adult’ stem cells from fat, bone marrow, skin and other tissues and can be ‘autologous’ (from the patient) or ‘allogeneic’ (donated).

Bone marrow transplants aside, stem cell treatments judged safe and effective for use on the NHS remain limited.

It includes a stem cell injection that aims to heal damage to the cornea, the eye’s protective outer layer, restoring sight, and a therapy for multiple sclerosis — an autologous transplant to rebuild the immune system. It has produced ‘miraculous’ results in small trials in the UK and abroad with wheelchair-bound patients able to walk, run and even dance again.

Stem cells can also be obtained from cord blood left in the placenta and umbilical cord after a baby is born. It is rich in stem cells that can be used in bone marrow transplants. Cord blood can be stored for decades, claim cord bank companies.

Approved treatments, such as those used to repair damaged corneas, have been rigorously tested, says Professor Noble.

‘I can see the day when we wipe out diabetes,’ says Professor Noble. ‘That would be incredible.’