Tissue engineering can lead to multiple applications in regenerative medicine.
Nina Tandon (Source: Brit + Co)
The development of a new drug is an incredibly complicated process. First, you need to formulate the drug then test it in the lab, followed by animal testing. Finally, you go to the clinical trials where the drugs are tested on humans. Finally, if all of these stages are a success, you start selling the drug. Even then, your work isn’t over. After all, the drug may start showing unpredictable side effects which end up hurting people. It’s back to the drawing board. That is a lot of hassle.
Nina Tandon (Source: Brit + Co)
Why do drugs fail in spite of all of these stages of testing? For starters, humans are definitely not rats. More importantly, each human being is unique. As such, there tends to be certain genetic differences among us. These differences, no matter how minor, have the final say on the reaction to a substance.
Tissue engineering can lead to multiple applications in regenerative medicine (Source: AICHE)
So, we need a kickass new way to test these medicines. Nina Tandon believes the key to a better test lies in tissue engineering. Through the use of stem cells, it is possible to create conditions that mimic a human body as well as its diversity.
Of course, stem cells are a highly controversial topic. So, Tandon makes use of a different approach. She uses pluripotent stem cells. Now, these stem cells are derived from skin cells. Certain genes are added to the skin cells which are tricked into entering an embryonic state. Whoa!
Nina Tandon (Source: Poets&Quants)
Now, we have a perfectly viable sample of stem cells. This means we can start harvesting them to grow tissues that mimic different organs in the body like heart, lungs and so on and on. The thing is, it will be your skin cells, which means the tissues developed will be genetically similar to yours. Any drugs that work on the sample will work for you as well. Now that is what we call personalized medicines.
Tissue engineering can lead to multiple applications in regenerative medicine (Source: TED)
