Potential of Adult Stem Cells Discussed

U.S. drug companies are making significant progress behind the scenes in harvesting the potential uses of adult stem cells and preparing to market them.

Representatives of a number of companies met with institutional investors in New York recently to discuss a science that is projected to yield $87 million in drug sales this year alone, The Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

Unlike their embryonic counterparts, adult stem cells are not controversial and face much lower regulatory hurdles, the newspaper says.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already developed regulations to deal with the coming rush of adult stem cell products from drug and device producers.

In the pipeline are devices to extract a patient’s own adult stem cells from fat tissue and a drug to repair gastrointestinal damage caused by radiation.

Currently stem cell products are being sold to treat rare blood disorders, repair hips, reconstruct jaws and infuse spines.

They are the building blocks that theoretically can be manipulated to perform the work of many other cell types.