Purity, potency, and safety – affordably – in stem cell therapy
In a new episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh discusses stem cell therapy, and accessibility to and affordability of such treatment, with Rafael E Carazo Salas, founder and CEO of CellVoyant, an AI-first biotechnology company spun out from the University of Bristol.
From totipotent stem cells at conception, to pluripotent, multipotent, oligopotent, and unipotent stem cells by adulthood – every disease essentially boils down to a dysfunction in the cells and tissues in organs, and cells should be the ideal therapy. Blood transfusions are a historic example, but in the modern concept, by harnessing stem cells, functional specialised cells can be used to alleviate, substitute, substitute, and repair the body.
Cell therapy will help heal the world, says Salas – if only we will allow it to. From CAR-T for blood cancers to emerging research in stem cell therapy for diabetes, even for neurodegenerative diseases, stem cells are thought to offer potential hope for currently untreatable conditions, but there is a responsibility to do things right.
The UK is an academic powerhouse, globally recognised for its high level training and innovation and invention. Indeed, the UK is uniquely placed to spin out companies. Unlike the US, however, the attitude towards equity is only now changing in academic institutions in Britain, permitting a more inspiring innovation ecosystem that attracts talent.
Again, as Salas says, cell therapy could help heal the world – but only if the costs permit accessibility. And that’s where CellVoyant aims to come in, utilising predictive AI to select better cells, optimise targets, increase yield, accelerate processes, and lead to more affordable treatments that reach patients.
You can listen to episode 136a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Podbean.
