How stem cells are changing the face of medicine

We have only just started getting to grips with the vast life-saving potential of stem cells, the basic building blocks of the body. Dr Mike Tubbs explores recent breakthroughs and assesses the state of the market.

DNA filled liquid being injected into an egg cell nucleus © iStockphotos

Stem cells are a blank canvas that can develop into any type of cell, curing many diseases
(Image credit: DNA filled liquid being injected into an egg cell nucleus © iStockphotos)

Most cells in the human body are particular to one type of organ or function: skin cells, liver cells, or heart-muscle cells, for instance. Stem cells, however, are essentially a blank canvas that can develop into any type of cell. This in turn gives them vast life-saving potential, as a recent project at Imperial College London illustrates. Researchers grew stem cells in a gel and managed to transform them into patches of heart muscle measuring three by two centimetres. These patches could be used to strengthen the heart muscle in patients who have just had a heart attack. This technique would be a major breakthrough, since heart failure affects nearly one million people in Britain alone and the only way of reversing the damage caused by a heart attack is by carrying out a full heart transplant.

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Dr Mike Tubbs

Highly qualified (BSc PhD CPhys FInstP MIoD) expert in R&D management, business improvement and investment analysis, Dr Mike Tubbs worked for decades on the 'inside' of corporate giants such as Xerox, Battelle and Lucas. Working in the research and development departments, he learnt what became the key to his investing; knowledge which gave him a unique perspective on the stock markets.

Dr Tubbs went on to create the R&D Scorecard which was presented annually to the Department of Trade & Industry and the European Commission. It was a guide for European businesses on how to improve prospects using correctly applied research and development. He has been a contributor to MoneyWeek for many years, with a particular focus on R&D-driven growth companies.