Nearly 100,000 individuals in the United States alone are waiting for the gift of life through organ transplants. Sadly, the majority will pass away before that gift of life is received. This tragedy combined with the nature in which some are pushed to donate while they are living has inspired Dr. Susan Lim to look for alternatives to organ transplantation. Through Stem Cell Technologies (i), she is looking to cell transplantation as a viable alternative to organ transplantation.
Obtaining Stem Cells - Dr. Susan Lim
There has been a lot of controversy over embryonic stem cells. The cells are harvested from 5 day old fetuses and contain an infinite possibility of division. Dr. Susan Lim believes that moral issues along with the potential health risk that embryonic stem cells pose are obstacles to their use in the clinic. Her research company focuses on the use of adult stem cells that are harvested from fat. While mature stem cells are restrictive, they are also stable. This means that the number of divisions possible through the cells is less likely to create a cancer than with embryonic stem cells.
Dr. Susan Lim - Reprogramming Stem Cells
Adult stem cells can now be reprogrammed to create iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells, that are capable of creating a variety of cell types. Stem Cell Technologies (i), the Genome Institute of Singapore and Dr. Susan Lim in Singapore are working to reprogram these cells and study their use to create insulin-secreting cells that may one day cure diabetes.
According to Dr. Susan Lim, the future of transplantation is in cells not organs. Her team at Stem Cell Technologies (i) will continue to search for a cure that will change the world.
