Cell Therapy: Revolutionizing Modern Medicine
One of the most innovative approaches in biomedical science is cell therapy, which treats or prevents diseases using live cells. Through the body’s innate ability to heal, researchers and healthcare professionals have researched innovative treatments for diseases that had no cure. [1] Using a wide range of cell types as a part of the therapy or treatment for diseases is possible because of modern technology and innovation.
Following the discovery of human blood types, the first blood transfusion marked the beginning of cell therapy’s history. In 1957, E. Donnall Thomas performed the first allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), which led to a global breakthrough in stem cell research and treatment.[2]
In the 1970s, Fred Appelbaum expressed concerns about the efficacy of bone marrow transplants due to the high patient death rates. Those who lived experienced chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Because the transplanted immune cells viewed cancer cells as alien intruders, this immune response remarkably decreased the risks of cancer recurrence. The idea that bone marrow transplants may serve as a preventive intervention was sparked by this finding, which ultimately opened the door for cell therapy, which uses live cells as treatment. In cell therapy, a patient receives viable cells to replace damaged or unhealthy cells, repair damaged tissues, or change immune responses.
Autologous cells (from the patient) or Allogeneic cells (from a donor) are used in therapy while other cell types, such as pluripotent stem cells or modified cell lines can also be used. Removing cells from a patient’s body, altering them outside, and returning them to the same person is “autologous cell therapy”. This method lowers the risk of immunological rejection because the cells come from the patient. Allogeneic cell therapy, on the other hand, uses cells from a donor, such as a healthy person who is compatible or matched with the patient.[3]Stem cell treatment, immunological cell therapy, and regenerative cell therapy are examples of cell therapy.[4]
Cell Therapy may be used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, urinary diseases, and infectious diseases, repair spinal cord injuries, restore damaged joint cartilage, boost a compromised immune system, and assist individuals with neurological conditions.[1] The global market for cell therapy is expected to reach USD 23.0 billion by 2028, up from USD 9.5 billion in 2021. Genetically modified or prepared cells are administered via topical applications, injectables, infusions, or bioscaffolds.[4] Cell therapy is an improvised treatment as well as a biomedical revolution. It provides a ray of hope for both, patients and medical professionals because of its capacity to alter the immune system, repair tissues, and target diseases at the cellular level.
References:
1. Facts about cellular therapies. (n.d.-b). www.aabb.org. https://www.aabb.org/news-resources/resources/cellular-therapies/facts-about-cellular-therapies
2. New York Blood Center Enterprises. (2024, March 1). The history of cell therapy & Cellular apheresis. https://www.nybce.org/news/articles/the-history-of-cell-therapy-cellular-apheresis/
3. Cell Therapy Basics |. (n.d.-b). https://patienteducation.asgct.org/gene-therapy-101/cell-therapy-basics
4. El-Kadiry, A. E., Rafei, M., & Shammaa, R. (2021). Cell Therapy: Types, Regulation, and Clinical Benefits. Frontiers in medicine, 8, 756029. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.756029
