Tuesday, October 7 at 6:00pm
O`Grady`s Tap and Grill
171 College Street, Toronto
Hosted by University Health Network, Café Scientifique will present a panel on stem cell research, that explores the possibilities of regenerative medicine and what kind of economic impact it can have on our health care system. A lively discussion and Q&A session will follow the presentation. You can also see the speaker list at walrusmagazine.com/cafesci.
Discussion One
Regenerative medicine, or stem cells, tend to attract press. Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, George Bush, and even the Pope have weighed in. But how much do you actually know? Is all the hype and controversy obscuring the real possibilities of regenerative medicine, which includes not just stem cell biology, but also cellular therapy, and tissue engineering? And as far as stem cells, they can come from embryonic tissue, but also from adult tissues such as skin and blood vessels, and from adult bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cells).
What does regenerative medicine even mean? Will we one day re-grow a severed head in a sci-fi future?
The term regeneration, in a broad sense, applies to recovery, replacement or re-growth of damaged cells, tissues or even whole organs after injury or disease. Regenerative medicine uses cutting-edge modern technologies, such as stem cell-based therapies, that can enhance the natural healing process or take over the function of permanently damaged cells, tissues or organs. You can read more on regenerative medicine here.
Dr. Alexander Velumian, a neuroscientist at the University Health Network shares his thoughts on stem cell research and regenerative medicine:
“The benefit of investing in regenerative medicine and specifically in stem cell research will be eliminating certain types of expensive surgeries and reducing the chances of adverse reactions to drugs.”
“Toronto is a leader in regenerative medicine research and clinical implementation in Canada. Continuing to be among the world leaders in this field requires increased funding, particularly for large-scale programs. We have world-class researchers, and their further success will largely depend on appropriate funding.”
Prevention or regeneration
“I believe that for patients, the identification of risk factors, early diagnosis and preventative treatment of potentially catastrophic illnesses is an important task of medical services .This ideal scenario is, unfortunately, often far from reality due to a variety of factors that include limited resources of our health care system or lack of effective diagnostic or treatment. As a result, regenerative medicine is an important alternative that may change the current landscape of health care and ease the economic burden.” – Dr. Alexander Velumian, neuroscientist, University Health Network
One thing is clear—regenerative medicine is a response to disease, not a preventative measure. But is society relying too much on the promises of regenerative medicine, rather than focusing on preventative medicine? We may one day be able to grow a new heart using regenerative medicine. Sure, it’s one cure for heart disease, but should we be focussing on preventing heart disease in the first place through lifestyle choices instead? With an aging population, some of those questions will be determined by demographics, but that may not always be the best use of resources or the most effective way to plot our future course in health care.
Is biotechnology and regenerative medicine enough of a priority in Canada? Do you think there are there other countries that are doing a better job at making progress on the biotech front?
Do you think regenerative medicine holds as much promise as we hope? There are some very high profile celebrities associated with different types of regenerative medicine, for example Christopher Reeves and Michael J. Fox, but does that mean we are choosing the right area of medicine to fund?
Stay tuned next week for more thoughts and questions from the experts at www.walrusmagazine.com/cafesci.
Comments (5 comments)
Anonymous: We hear a lot about regenerative medicine, but we never hear much about how it's really being used today. The possibilities for the future are endless, but I'd like to know what's being done in hospitals right now that's changing people's lives — and how does it work? If we were able to regrow limbs, how long would it take? What would that look like? Would patients have to live in some kind of incubator until the limb is fully grown? What are the psychological implications of this kind of therapy on patients? So many questions, so few answers. Looking forward to cafe scientifique! September 23, 2008 08:18 EST
Anonymous: Regenerative medicine is not something I can really get into or understand.
Prevention is one thing and treatment on a conventional basis is another. But what about the often neglected portion of the institution of medicine, which would be the 'acceptance' of medical problems that would hinder one's life and even end it.
This of course is a loaded statement because conventional medicine is a balance between acceptance and how much we, as a society, are willing to strive to 'fix' our bodily problems.
I believe that regenerative medicine will go too far; that our concepts of prevention and acceptance will be eroded further, and in that, we'll loose a portion of what makes us human. September 23, 2008 11:09 EST
Anonymous: Regenerative medicine holds significant promise for the future sustainability of Canadian medicare. As long as people are dying while waiting on a list for an organ transplant, any action to increase the number of organs available (either via donors or technology) is a positive.
Those that oppose regenerative medicine are generally blind to its benefits and often tend to be fear mongers who've seen too many sci-fi movies.
Government regulation can effectively control the scope, extensity and intensity of regenerative medicine based on societal objectives and ethical considerations.
It's time for the Luddites to once again take a back seat...
September 24, 2008 06:32 EST
Brian Dixon-Warren: Science is morally neutral; & it is always good to have more reliable information. However, the application of resources to science, & the implementation of new technologies has to be determined in the context of other needs.
I have spent my working life as a family doctor, & there is certainly a need to improve clinical care of the individual patient in Canada,- especially at this time.But "regenerative medicine" is not a top priority. In any case this need is dwarfed by the other larger threats at the population scale. Environmental degradation, manifested by pollution & global warming is appropriately receiving a great deal of attention. This itself is largely driven by increasing global consumerism.
However, underlying everything else & crucially important is the problem of the escalating increase in population.
Ironically, this could be solved in one generation if we could only find an acceptable means. It should be possible for human ingenuity to control the powerful "selfish gene".
I believe that all our resources should be directed towards this in the hope that we can come up with a plan for a sustainable future for the human race. Once this has been done we can then decide whether to turn our attention to "regenerative medicine". September 26, 2008 12:47 EST
RickW: "Three arms, two heads, and one big ego"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/zaphod.shtml
Regenerative medicine - something to look forward to.............. October 18, 2008 15:17 EST