All sciences are constantly evolving, followed by technologies that humanity uses in many ways to improve everyone's life. One of the progressive areas of such development is medicine. This is a vast branch of human knowledge and skills. Recently, it has replenished with another direction, called regenerative medicine.
Regeneration as an opportunity for he alth and longevity
People often regret that nature did not give a person the opportunity to restore organs and systems that have been injured or ravaged by disease. And just approaching old age leaves its mark on the state, both external and internal. Therefore, science seeks to find ways to help the human body get new organs, erase the traces of time. Regenerative medicine is one of the latest trends in this virtually unexplored area of human life.
The term "regeneration" itself comes from the Latin word for "rebirth" - regeneratio. It denotes the abilityliving organism to restore damaged or lost organs and tissues. For example, the salamander's tail, which it can lose to keep alive, grows back within a fairly short time. But science operates with two concepts:
- Physiological regeneration - self-renewal of body systems, for example, a change in human skin cells occurs every 15-18 days. Such renewal is a natural process necessary for the life of the organism.
- Reparative regeneration - the ability to restore body structures after damage. This includes the body's ability to heal damage from burn injuries.
But modern regenerative medicine tries to help not only the healing of injuries, but also, if possible, the complete restoration of the lost organ. Modern knowledge and technologies allow us to hope that after some time humanity will be able to "grow" lost or damaged organs and even organ systems.
Recovery Medicine
Science and clinical medicine are studying the ability and possibility of regeneration. Many specialists are trying to find a way to provide humanity with the tools to restore he alth and youth. The Clinical Institute of Regenerative Medicine is one of the modern institutions where scientific research, clinical trials and practical application of the ways of regeneration of various body structures are carried out. Today, such institutions of science and medicine do not always correspond todeclared qualities. Often, a catchy name hides an ordinary cosmetology clinic, which already carries out standard procedures for rejuvenation, removal of visible damage to the skin, and plastic surgery. Or the institution specializes in carrying out diagnostic procedures of various directions, without engaging in high-quality therapy. However, regenerative medicine is a multifaceted science that seeks to help preserve both beauty and he alth. Given this focus and modern scientific research, when talking about recovery medicine, we are talking mainly about the use of so-called stem cells, which have two main qualities - self-renewal and potency, that is, the ability to differentiate into different types of cells.
New Science?
Regenerative medicine only seems to be a new field of knowledge and skills of mankind. But this is far from true. The term "stem cells" was first mentioned at the beginning of the 20th century in Berlin at a meeting of hematologists. It was voiced and explained by the Russian-American histologist Maksimov. For many years, technology did not allow this science to develop effectively. But the development of scientific and technical areas of biology and medicine made it possible to study, develop and use the ability to regenerate in practical medicine. The Academy of Regenerative Medicine announces the emergence of a new direction in science - the biology of regenerative processes. This makes it possible to use stem cells as a basis for obtainingcomponents of a certain type of body tissues, from which you can "grow" the necessary organ. Naturally, these technologies are far from perfect.
Research and Practice Areas
Regenerative medicine with stem cells is the future of medicine and cosmetology, capable of replacing a lost or damaged organ, tissue, or structure. Biotechnology involves several areas of such application of the main source of self-renewal of the body.
Today, scientists are exploring the possibility of using regenerative medicine to treat many diseases and pathologies. Almost all spheres of life of the human body can receive the necessary resources using biotechnology and stem cells.
Blood diseases and regeneration
The hematopoietic system is the basis of the qualitative functioning of the whole organism, because the violation of its function leads to the development of numerous he alth problems. The Clinical Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine of Moscow State University have been proving for several years the success of the use of regenerative regeneration of a damaged liver using multipotent mesenchymal bone marrow stromal cells fixed and working on a biodegradable gel. Also, combinations of protein factors have been tested in the treatment of liver diseases, and tissue engineering constructs can be successfully used in the treatment of diseases of the biliary tract.
Decade-old transplantbone marrow in some blood diseases is the only way to save not only he alth, but also life. This method, in fact, is an opportunity for regenerative medicine, when biomedical technologies are able to renew the patient's bone marrow.
Industry Opportunity for Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that can undermine a person's he alth without directly indicating an existing problem in the production or absorption of a component such as insulin. This hormone is mainly produced by the cells of the pancreas. But science has revealed that in human adipose tissue there are cells similar in their capabilities to those that produce and supply insulin to the human body. Regenerative medicine uses these cells to transplant into the liver, which ensures that the amount of insulin in the blood is restored for high-quality glucose metabolism, and therefore, the main cause of diabetes is eliminated.
He alth of the cardiovascular system
Problems of the cardiovascular system lead not only to a large number of diseases, but also become the main cause of death. Regenerative medicine seeks to help such patients by the fact that tissues grown from stem cells can replace tissues of the heart and blood vessels injured by hypertension, stroke, infarction. Currently, several areas of restoration of the functionality of the cardiovascular system are actively beginning to be used in practical medicine. This is:
- hardware methods of indirect revascularization, i.e.restoration of normal blood circulation in the coronary arteries;
- Introduction into the body of recombinant angiogenesis inducer proteins, the so-called growth factors;
- application of cell therapy aimed at restoring tissue functionality at the cellular level;
- Introduction of gene constructs encoding risk factors and self-healing.
These techniques are constantly being improved, however, like all areas of regenerative medicine.
Diseases of the nervous system
Regenerative medicine and cell therapy are of particular importance in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, because it is the conduction of nerve impulses that is the basis for the high-quality functioning and interaction of all body structures. This is especially important for paralyzed people who have dysfunctions of individual structures of both the spinal cord and the brain, as well as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The trials are currently being carried out in clinical laboratories. But, I think, the moment is already close when the use of stem cells will help patients with disorders in the functioning of the nervous system.
Cosmetics of different areas of the body
Today, most people know about stem cells only in a cosmetic way. Rejuvenation with the help of special extracts from various tissues works wonders. And in many ways, the clinic of regenerative medicine deals with just such issues. It is noteworthy that such cosmetology can be both purely aesthetic andtherapeutically necessary. For example, the healing of extensive wounds and burns, urethroplasty in some diseases of the genitourinary system can maintain the patient's he alth and a fairly high level of vital activity. Modern regenerative medicine is trying to improve the methods of obtaining, implanting and restoring cells that provide a high-quality solution to the problem. Dental development based on stem cells is widely used, which allows restoring gum tissue in case of various disorders. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the leading field in the application of regenerative techniques to the general population.
Ophthalmic direction
In some clinics, calling themselves the "Center for Regenerative Medicine", you can find in the list of rendered procedures and methods of ophthalmic orientation. Thus, stem cells are already being successfully used to restore vision in patients with injuries or congenital defects of the cornea.
Ethics of the issue
The Institute of Regenerative Medicine, part of Lomonosov Moscow State University, constantly raises the question of the ethics of this bio-industry in directions based on the use of stem cells. The main source of this biomaterial is the bone marrow and embryonic tissues. The ethical and moral complexity of obtaining pluripotent structures is that a large number of undifferentiated cells are contained in the bone marrow.newborns and young children, as well as in the tissues of the embryo for several days after fertilization of the egg. Also, a sufficient amount of stem cells was found in the blood of the umbilical cord. In the body of an adult, such substances are found in the tissues of the pancreas, brain, as well as adipose tissue and some other structures. Many people believe that the use of adult stem cells does not have as many moral and ethical prohibitions as the collection of biomaterial from aborted embryos, specially cloned biounits, from newborns or infants. But there is a big problem here - adult stem cells are not absolutely pluripotent, that is, capable of differentiating into cells of any body tissues. In addition, over time, as a result of the natural aging processes of the body, the potential for genetic mutation accumulates in cells, which makes such a biomaterial unsuitable for use in regenerative medicine. The two main ethical and moral aspects imply a large number of separate issues regarding the use of stem cells. Science is engaged in their solution, and the development of this branch of medicine further depends on the quality of the solution. But despite all the problems, regenerative medicine is the most promising industry for extending the quality of human life.
Pharmacy preparations?
The desire of a person to preserve youth and he alth, to deceive time and old age has always been and will always be. modern medicinetries, taking into account all the latest achievements of various fields of science, to help a person in the implementation of these desires. Regenerative medicine is a whole range of activities aimed at prolonging youth and maintaining he alth. Therefore, today even a simple layman has access to methods for high-quality rejuvenation and healing of the body. After all, if you look, then all vitamin and mineral complexes, cosmetics for cleansing, giving elasticity to the skin, fitness classes, body sculpting, various types of physical therapy are aimed precisely at preserving and improving life potential. Arriving at any pharmacy, you can buy products for the skin, activate the immune system, which also helps to preserve youth and he alth. The pharmacology of regenerative medicine includes both affordable pharmaceutical preparations and rather expensive products that can be purchased in specialized stores.
Regenerative medical facilities
Today, many cosmetology medical institutions position themselves as belonging to such an industry as restorative medicine, remaining, in fact, only diagnostic centers with a range of hardware cosmetology services. For example, many people are familiar with the "Clinic of Regenerative Medicine" at 7 Michurinsky Prospekt.
This institution is trusted by its clients for quality care in many areas, from preparation and management of pregnancy to recoveryafter sports injuries and functional diagnostics. But the clinic does not conduct scientific research in various areas of restorative medicine, only collecting information on the results of using certain medical procedures that help maintain he alth, beauty and a high level of quality of life.
Regenerative medicine has a great future, because the human desire to live young and disease-free as long as possible is natural. And this branch of helping a person solves the tasks set using all the latest biotechnologies.
