Building Blocks

Regenerative medicines could be a potential gamechanger in healthcare, provided the market is streamlined with effective regulations and guidelines, finds Mansha Gagneja

- Mansha Gagneja

 

One era’s fantasy is another era’s reality.The world keeps mentioning regeneration in multifarious ways, be it in comics or movies and what seems remarkably fictional is more likely a fact in reality. Many sci-fi movies portray fictional characters experimenting and acquiring the ability to regenerate organs. And many a times aftermath illustrates the catastrophic effects of ungoverned research.

Regeneration as an answer to cure a disease or personalised medicines are far from being a new idea. Ancient Greek legend of Prometheus, the god who was cursed to have an eagle peck out his liver each day, only to grow it back overnight, recognised the power of regeneration and claimed that the liver could heal itself. This made them address liver as ‘hepar’ meaning to heal itself. The modern science is intrigued by the applications of regenerative medicine which include genetical engineering, stem cell biology, cloning, biomaterials and biomedical devices to name a few. Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher and MD, StemRx Bioscience Solutions highlights, “Early works on regenerative medicine were in the form of cell based therapy for blood related conditions (leukaemia, bleeding disorders etc.) Medical science is now analysing the mechanics of utilising the power of these dynamic molecules in treatment of various chronic and previously untreatable conditions.”