Healthcare data is predicted to expand by 43 percent by 2020, to an incomprehensible level of 2.3 zettabytes. The size of the data is also not the only inevitable issue, it’s the type of data. Eighty percent of it is completely unstructured and mostly unlabelled, meaning organizations will find it increasingly difficult to extract any value or outcomes from the datasets [1].
Since their development in the mid-2000s, the versatile nature of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) has unlocked the potential of curative approaches instead of symptom-reactive treatments. In particular, fields which deal with genetic disorders and regenerative therapies would benefit from this. The advancement of iPSC technology compliments the advent of personalized medicine, allowing for a future where individuals could be treated using autologous iPSCs.
Animal models have been used for years to provide proof of concept for new therapies, however there are major flaws which need to be addressed. Studies using mouse models cannot accurately predict patient response to a new compound. Translatability requires a suitable model which will reduce attrition rates in phase II and III clinical trials which are proving to be of detriment to R&D productivity[1].
In light of World Digestive Disease Day, which is celebrated every year on the 29th of May[1], we will explore the different facets of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and highlight recent advances on the diagnostics, treatments, and the frontiers of research that will one day hopefully provide a cure.
It is well recognised that one size does not fit all when it comes to the treatment of many diseases. Getting the right drug to the right patient at the right dose has become the focus of precision medicine, which provides hope that patients may receive the most appropriate treatment sooner, improving their quality of life and reducing the support required from health care systems and wider society[1]. Health economists are recognising the potential of precision medicine and are beginning to apply the concept to their research[2].
From obesity and Crohn’s disease to cancer, investigations into the microbiota and microbiome are opening up numerous avenues of research. The human microbiota, composed of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, eukaryotic microbes and many different species which occupy the human body[1], and the study of the associated microbial genomes, are generating increasing numbers of publications.
This issue, we are casting the REPROCELL Tissue Spotlight on the LUNG.
The lungs are the central organs of the human respiratory system enabling you to take around 25,000 breaths a day — mostly, without any conscious thought that you are doing so!
In this post, we highlight recent advancements in stem cells as treatment and study of autism to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day (2 April 2019).
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that impairs the ability to communicate and relate to others. Affecting 1% of the world population, it is the most commonly diagnosed childhood developmental disorder. In 2018, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that rates of autism had increased to an estimated 1 in 59 children, up from 1 in 88 just six years ago.
The return on R&D investments in the UK is at its lowest rate in nine years, despite Britain’s global presence in science, technology and health. Pharmaceutical attrition rates continue to rise, and the UK biotech landscape remains fragmented. Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) aims to connect the UK R&D community more effectively by putting the patient at the heart of the drug discovery process. As part of our collaboration with the MDC, REPROCELL have pledged to provide custom drug discovery assays using live human tissues.
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) derived neural models to study brain disease provide an unlimited resource for disease modelling as well as being a tool for drug screening for effective therapies. The limited access to viable patient neurons from brain tissue itself generates the need for functional and reproducible human neuron cell models. Such cells are now increasingly used for drug development studies as well as supporting research into mechanisms and pathways of various neurological diseases.
