With their ability to differentiate into many different types of cells, stem cells are used in the treatment of many diseases and play a crucial role in medical research and drug development.
Stem cells play a fundamental role in the development of new drugs. Today, most new drugs must undergo animal testing (in vivo testing) before being used in humans. However, even if drugs are completely suitable in animals, there is no guarantee that they will be absolutely safe for human use. The ideal solution to the problem of drug side effects is to test drugs on human cells (in vitro testing) before they are moved to clinical trials on humans.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that stem cells are an effective tool for drug research and development. One study (2023) indicated that stem cells provide an ideal in vitro testing platform for pharmacological research. They allow for the identification of novel molecular targets, the evaluation of the pharmacological effects of compounds, and the prediction of clinical efficacy. A prime example is the creation of cancer models from patients' own stem cells to assess the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments.
In addition to replacing lost or damaged tissue, stem cells also help accelerate drug research and screening. By using stem cells to mimic disease at the cellular level, scientists can better understand the mechanisms of disease development, thereby effectively screening compounds with potential for drug use.
According to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the application of stem cell technologies after clarifying disease mechanisms will shorten the time and cost of drug development. Stem cell technology is expected to significantly improve the ability of pharmaceutical companies to screen new drugs for side effects much earlier in the development process, significantly reducing the time it takes to develop a new drug.
Many countries around the world , such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and China, have successfully applied stem cell technology to develop new drugs. Currently, the most common technologies are applied pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technology and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology. Pluripotent stem cells created through iPS and SCNT technologies produce cell lines with genetic characteristics identical to those of the cell donor.
One example is the research process for producing inhibitory drugs to treat Parkinson's disease. The research begins by taking a small sample of skin cells from a Parkinson's patient. Scientists then culture these cells under special conditions to transform them into nerve cells identical to the damaged cells in the patient's brain. After a period of observation, these new cells accurately replicate the progression of Parkinson's disease in a culture dish. Researchers meticulously observe the changes occurring within the cells during the onset of the disease. This allows for the development of methods for earlier drug screening, helping to prevent, slow, stop, or even reverse the progression of Parkinson's disease.
On the other hand, stem cells are also used to assess the safety and potential risks of new drugs. According to Dr. Bruce Conklin, a senior researcher at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, drug screening using pluripotent stem cells is an effective method for detecting toxic side effects. Stem cells are cultured into mature cell types such as heart, liver, or brain cells, and then exposed to new drugs and/or potential environmental hazards to record potential side effects. For example, neural stem cells are used to study Alzheimer's disease and screen beta-amyloid inhibitors.
In reality, the drug testing process takes years and costs millions of dollars. In the United States, a new drug requires going through four phases before it can be brought to market, including: discovery and development, preclinical research, clinical trials, and FDA evaluation. Additionally, the time it takes to get a drug through these different development phases and receive approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) averages 10 years.
In the long term, stem cells open up new avenues for personalized drug treatment. By creating unique disease models for each individual using the patient's own stem cells, scientists and healthcare professionals can predict each patient's response to different medications, increasing treatment success rates and shortening recovery times.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/phat-develop-new-drugs-from-stem-cell-technology-d227540.html
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