Why stem cells could be the medical innovation of the century | World Economic Forum
One theory of ageing suggests that between the ages of 30 and 50, our stem cells reach a turning point and start to decline in number and function. This results in the typical features associated with ageing.
In the 1980s, scientists identified embryonic stem cells in mice, leading to the 1997 cloning of Dolly the Sheep. This created immense interest for human and medical applications and a backlash in the US as federal R&D funding was essentially halted in 2001.
In the decade between 2010 and 2019, the first wave of stem cell start-ups emerged, alongside R&D programmes at many large pharmaceutical companies, leading to innovation and the first human clinical trials for iPS and other related therapies.
Perhaps most excitingly, curative therapies are hitting the market and the results are astonishing: 60% of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia patients taking Novartis’ Kymirah showed a complete response (no traces of cancer) and were declared in full remission. Meanwhile, 75% of patients with Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassaemia treated with bluebird bio’s Zynteglo achieved independence from transfusions. Perhaps most astonishingly, 93% of spinal muscular atrophy patients treated with Novartis’ Zolgensma were alive without permanent ventilation 24 months after treatment. We should expect more medical breakthroughs in the coming years.
New science, new start-ups: several companies in the sector have gone public or been acquired. These exits led to the recycling of talent and capital into new companies. Because the science and commercial systems have also advanced, the companies in the next wave are pursuing bigger challenges, driving innovation, with even greater resources.
New R&D models: funding is flowing into the sector from large companies, VC funds, and institutions such as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and New York State Stem Cell Science programme (NYSTEM). Some of the leading university R&D platforms include the Center for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, the Oxford Stem Cell Institute, and most notably, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI).
For the casual investor, Evercore ISI is building a Regenerative Medicine Index, which may be the simplest way to build a portfolio. For institutions and those with deeper pockets, regenerative medicine funds are forming, including the Boston-centric Hexagon Regenerative Medicine Fund, which aims to create companies out of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
The leading causes of death in 1900 were mostly infectious/communicable diseases. While the prevalence of most causes has diminished, the largest increases include heart disease (+40%) and cancer (+300%). Granted, this is partly due to doubling life expectancy and a lack of death from other causes. However, given time and resources, scientists and physicians may cure these challenging diseases.