Healthcare 2010-2025: regenerative medicine cures most diseases
By Dick Pelletier
A recent government report, 2020: A New Vision A Future for
Regenerative Medicine, predicts a revolution in medical
technology is underway that could eliminate most diseases in the
future.
Scientists in this revolution are focusing on
actually curing health problems, not just treating them. Their
goals include developing therapies to completely eradicate
diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes,
osteoporosis, arthritis, and spinal cord injuries. Virtually any
disease that results from damaged or failing tissues can be
targeted for elimination with regenerative medicine.
Derived from biology, biochemistry, physics,
engineering, and other fields, this medical revolution will
utilize stem cell therapies, genetic engineering, and nanotech
to repair tissues and organs inside the body, and build new body
parts in the lab when necessary. Given cohesive government
initiative and adequate funding, the report states that progress
could be realized in the following timeline:
2010-2015 Develop multiple applications for skin,
cartilage, bone, blood vessel, and some urological products;
enable insurance companies to cover these procedures; establish
FDA standards for newly-developing technologies; make available
cell banks for unlimited tissue storage; and allow researchers
access to materials they need to design new therapies and create
cost-effective production methods.
2015-2020 Further understand stem cell biology and
genetic variations; build 'smart' degradable cellular
scaffolding; produce tissues with their own complete vascular
circulation; develop complex patches to repair hearts and other
organs; reengineer genes to copy the way salamanders restore
lost limbs and apply this technology to human amputees.
2020-2025 Replace body parts damaged from disease or
aging with new 'youthful' ones including tissues and organs such
as entire hearts, lungs, bones, and muscle structures; create
nanodevices that can enter into cells and remove pathogens and
toxins and repair faulty DNA throughout the body.
Institute for Molecular
Manufacturing's Robert Freitas believes that although were
still a long way from having complete designs for many of these
new procedures, they all appear possible and could be developed
on the aggressive schedule noted above.
Beyond obvious health benefits, this medical
revolution will also combat rising U.S. healthcare costs, which
currently exceed $2 trillion annually; much of which stems from
recurring treatments for diseases arising from tissue failure,
common among the elderly. With replaceable healthy tissues and
organs readily available, doctors will save millions from
suffering, illness, and death.
However, some predict a problem with so many
people recapturing their health and living longer. The
Congressional Budget Office estimates that federal spending
for Social Security and Medicare will double by
2030, but fewer younger Americans will be around to foot the
bill.
However, forward thinkers see a different future:
as older people opt for "rejuvenation," their bodies will become
stronger; they will remain in good health longer, and will
require less need for financial support.
In fact, by late 2020s, octogenarians; even
centenarians, instead of living life in a feeble decrepit state,
will find themselves enjoying life in a strong body resembling a
much younger person. Experts predict that many "rejuvenated"
seniors will become bored with retirement, and will find
excitement by embarking on a new career.
Regenerative medicine offers the potential to bridge
most people alive today into what positive futurists describe as
an amazing "magical future."
This article appeared in various print publications and
on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.
