futuretalk : Regenerative medicine could cure most diseases by 2020

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Regenerative medicine could cure most diseases by 2020

By Dick Pelletier

A recent government report declared the next evolution of healthcare to be regenerative medicine. This announcement has prompted officials to create the Federal Initiative for Regenerative Medicine (FIRM) with an aggressive goal to provide tissues and organs “on demand” for every American by as early as 2020.

Derived from biology, biochemistry, physics, engineering and other fields, this technology can regenerate damaged tissues and organs in vivo (in the living body) by stimulating irreparable organs into healing themselves; and grow tissues and organs in vitro (in the laboratory) when the body cannot heal itself.

Regenerative medicine has the potential to cure cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and spinal cord injuries. Potentially, this technology could cure any disease that results from malfunctioning, damaged, or failing tissues. With replaceable healthy tissues and organs readily available, doctors will save millions from suffering, illness and death.

Beyond obvious health benefits, regenerative medicine will also combat rising U.S. healthcare costs, which currently exceeds $1.5 trillion annually; most of which stems from recurring treatments for diseases arising from tissue failure, commonly seen in the elderly.

Officials make it clear that FIRM also offers an opportunity for the U.S. to remain at the forefront of regenerative medicine and not allow other countries to overtake us, as happened with the VCR, TV, automobile, and so many other “American” ideas. Already, Japan, European Union, China and Australia are planning government-supported regenerative medicine programs.

Led by top medical experts, FIRM hopes to repeat the successful formula that launched the Human Genome Project and the National Nanotechnology Initiative. FIRM will leverage government labs, funding mechanisms, and financial resources to give regenerative medicine a vision and purpose, and quickly bring its benefits to the American public.

While regenerative medicine is an inevitable evolution of science, without guidance and support the technology will take too long to mature. FIRM hopes to unravel its complexities and make it become reality within fifteen years.

America’s greatest natural resource is ingenuity, the report says. Coupled with funding and direction, our Nation can maintain its preeminence in biotech by paving the way to the future with the evolving world of regenerative medicine. By doing so, we will soon make tissue and organ failure a relic of our distant past.

However, some see a problem with older people living longer. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that federal spending for Social Security and Medicare will double by 2030; and fewer younger Americans will be around to foot the bill. While the number of seniors doubles, the number of working-aged people will grow by only 15%.

Advocates point out though, that incremental increase in today’s life expectancy has drastically changed the way we think and live. From Modern Maturity Magazine to octogenarians starting new companies, the gold watch at 65 already seems passé. Enthusiasts believe FIRM will keep people healthier as they age, requiring less need for financial support. Many will continue working; some will even begin new careers.

Regenerative medicine promises to bridge most people alive today into the “roaring 20s”, where medical nanobots will roam through our bodies keeping us forever healthy and youthful on this incredible trip towards a most “magical future”.

Learn more: http://www.hhs.gov/reference/FutureofRegenerativeMedicine.pdf

This article will appear in various print media and blogs; comments always welcome. See other published work by Dick at http://www.positivefuturist.com

Published Tuesday, February 14, 2006 8:23 AM by futuretalk

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	oortog wrote on February 14, 2006 8:47 AM Now this is what we need more of. Concrete publications from respectable sources. It gives us EVERYTHING we need to get started. I think as a collective, we have been doing a lot of hand wringing and prognosticating. Here we have a government agency going on the line and trying to make a real difference. I say we lend them a hand. We have names and locations just from this document alone. Now its time to start joining forces with other groups that have similar interests. We need to follow the legislation and the funding, contact our legislators and get them on the record to support this. This means getting in contact with patient advocacy groups and organizations. We can start there. Slowly build up the ideas of Transhumanism. Time to squeeze the money tree. I know we come from a diverse group of countries so I don’t know where you would start for each one… but I do know where to start in Canada. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/ http://canada.gc.ca/ I’ll be looking up the budget for both my province and my nation to look for funding bills for this, and if I don’t see any, I’ll be calling my representatives for them to formulate one. I believe the NDP are a good place to start. They would support this easily.
	futuretalk wrote on February 14, 2006 10:09 AM I am not sure that mentioning the world “Transhuman” will help drive this project drive forward. Political naysayers align themselves against most forward-thinking ideas. It is a good idea to urge our government representatives to get behind government-supported regenerative medicine, but we do not need to mention an organization that could evoke negative feelings. Just some thoughts.
	futuretalk wrote on February 14, 2006 10:29 AM I include my articles in a weekly e-newsletter that is read by two NIH Deputy Directors. In addition, a DC infotech/biotech lobby organization adds my “current article” to their newsletter which is distributed to some members of congress. If we forward-thinkers would contact our government reps and ask them to support any legislation that promotes regenerative medicine research, it certainly would not hurt. As more people support our positive future, its chances of becoming reality increases exponentially.
	Nick wrote on February 15, 2006 4:50 AM Dick, As oortog said, nice catch. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that a government entity would formulate a mission statement to "goal to provide tissues and organs “on demand” for every American by as early as 2020." It just seems to reflect more forawrd thinking views than many of us generally attribute anyone working for the Federal government. Like I said, pleasant surprise. I'm just wondering how feasible this is. I have no doubt that the technology will be present and fully viable. But how will the organs and tissues find their way to "every American"? That sounds like a level of distribution that one would only see from a very highly developed national healthcare system. The reality is just the opposite here in the States.
	Jokkmokk wrote on February 15, 2006 8:05 AM In this "new" article wich is from Januari 2005, one can read "within 20 years" several times wich makes me think of the year 2025? I am not a pessimist, just reading the facts ;-) Also, isn´t the National Cancer Institute´s program to stop death from cancer by 2015 also a govermental institution? But I think the development regarding the articles main issue will move quite faster because of stemcell-technology and "organ printing"-technologies wich has recently been published. Also, I remember growing organs is not something "far away". I think 2-3 years ago there was some researchers who had grown a dog´s urinebladder from it´s own cells.
	futuretalk wrote on February 15, 2006 9:56 AM NCI’s challenge to eliminate all cancer deaths by 2015 is still alive and well; and some experts expect a few viable replacement organs to be available by as early as 2016. Regenerative medicine as a field has existed for over 10 years with most activity happening from the private sector, which has spent approximately $4 billion to date, but with few products on the market. The only products so far are first generation skin and cartilage substitutes. Further innovation has been stymied by a lack of fundamental building block research. FIRM hopes to change all that. Proponents believe we can accomplish the following projected timeline. In 5 years the following milestones are hoped for: • Develop multiple applications for skin, cartilage, bone, blood vessel, and some urological products • Develop insurance reimbursable regenerative therapies • Establish standards for FDA regenerative medicine therapy product approvals • Solve cell sourcing issues, giving researchers access to the materials they need to design new therapies • Establish cost-effective means of production, paving the way for future products • Establish specialized cell banks for tissue storage, allowing storage of viable “off the shelf” products In 10 years, effective regenerative medicine therapies will be available for patient care and industrial research and development purposes. At this time, the following may be achieved: • Further understand stem cell and progenitor cell biology • Engineer smart degradable biocompatible scaffolding • Develop microfabrication and nanofabrication technologies to produce tissues with their own complete vascular circulation • Develop complex organ patches, that could repair damaged pieces of the heart or other organs Ultimately, by 2020, the full benefits of regenerative medicine therapies will be reached. Some of the applications could be: • Harness regenerative medicine materials to produce in situ regeneration of diseased and damaged structures in many areas of the body • Regenerate most damaged tissues and organs either in vivo or through implanted regeneration therapies • Produce in vitro sophisticated 3-D tissues and organs that cannot be regenerated through in vivo techniques, such as an entire heart or lung Proponents say without a federal initiative supporting this research, this timeline could extend over the next 40 to 50 years. Considering the many economic and health advances this technology may bring, it is vital that regenerative medicine advance as quickly as possible and, they add, it must be made available to every American, regardless of their financial resources.
	futuretalk wrote on February 15, 2006 10:36 AM If I were to exercise conservative caution I might predict most regenerative medicine techniques to be available mid-to-late 2020s. Nanorobots roaming through our bodies to keep disease and aging at bay will happen in the early-to-mid 2030s. Futuristic mind-transfer technology that wirelessly transmits all your mind’s daily activity data, including sleep, and stores it in a safe haven, which cannot be made conscious until it becomes aware your body was destroyed; at which time it orders nanobots to immediately construct a new body and will transfer a copy of itself into that new body. If I were conservative, this technology would not be developed until late 2040s or 2050s. However, conservative, I am not. I believe these technologies will happen at least ten years earlier.