Cell therapy
Cell therapy originated in the nineteenth century when scientists experimented by injecting animal material in an attempt to prevent and treat illness.
[2] Although such attempts produced no positive benefit, further research found in the mid twentieth century that human cells could be used to help prevent the human body rejecting transplanted organs, leading in time to successful bone marrow transplantation as has become common practice in treatment for patients that have compromised bone marrow after disease, infection, radiation or chemotherapy.
[1] The origins of cell therapy can perhaps be traced to the nineteenth century, when Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817–1894) injected animal testicle extracts in an attempt to stop the effects of aging.
[2] In 1931 Paul Niehans (1882–1971) – who has been called the inventor of cell therapy – attempted to cure a patient by injecting material from calf embryos.
As such, in recent times, cell therapy has been recognized as an important field in the treatment of human disease,[7] and investigations are ongoing in articular cartilage,[8] brain tissue,[9][10] spine,[11] heart,[12] cancers,[13] etc.
As a consequence cell therapy as a strategy has been attracting significant investments by commercial entities which suggest strong prospects for future growth.
Multiple clinical studies are ongoing that obtain stromal cells from bone-marrow, adipose tissue, or peripheral blood to be transplanted at sites of injury or stress; which is being actively explored for e.g. cartilage[32] and muscle[33] repair.
Horwitz et al. transplanted bone marrow (BM) cells from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical siblings to patients with OI.
[41] A more recent clinical trial showed that allogeneic fetal MSCs transplanted in utero in patients with severe OI can engraft and differentiate into bone in a human fetus.
Introduction of BM MSCs following myocardial infarction (MI) resulted in significant reduction of damaged regions and improvement in heart function.
Also, a clinical trial revealed huge improvements in nerve conduction velocities in Hurler's Syndrome patients infused with BM MSCs from HLA-identical siblings.
HSCs therapy can also render its cure by reconstituting damaged blood-forming cells and restoring the immune system after high-dose chemotherapy to eliminate disease.
[1] Despite being one of the fast growing areas within Life Sciences,[54] the manufacturing of cell therapy products is largely hindered by small scale batches and labour-intensive processes.
Cell and gene therapies require manufacturer and distributors alike to implement new systems and processes in order to ensure safe handling and delivery.
[57] Furthermore, recent changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability in Europe, secondary to Brexit, have further impacted the logistics chain for cellular therapies.
