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.
