QUESTION: Do you think stem cell research will be the next advance in medicine?
KW
ANSWER: It is a shame that much is misunderstood and has been driven offshore. So many people think Stem Cells are taken from dead babies. They are gathered from the umbilical cord but can be extracted from your teeth or even fat tissue in your own body. But the answer is yes. Stem Cell research is the next generation that can really be our saving grace for the future against superbugs. They can tank you blood and create a new heart. Aside from the day when you will be able to replace organs, it is helping to shorten the 10-year cycle in the development of new drugs.
This is right on time and it should provide the next advancement in medicine providing the next way of technological advancement. Biotech companies can also “print” living tissue using specialized 3D printers. They can print tissue that can be used to produce skin for grafts, or cartilage for joints. This is the next great advancement in medicine. One company is Aspect Biosystems, which went into partnership with Johnson & Johnson to develop 3D-printed knee meniscus tissue.
The future is not all dark and foreboding. That seems to be limited to the political-economy. In other areas, the future looks different and promising.
