This recently published report deals with the growing subject of stem cells, particularly the worldwide markets for transplantation, cord blood banking and ddrug developments. Stem cell therapeutic potentials are provided, and include cardiovascular disease, lung disease, tooth disease and arthritis. Some of the trends in the global stem cell market which are discussed in this report include ethical questions of the practice of stem cells, U.S. state and federal initiatives, and the question of research funding.

Big players in the stem cell market include:

- Geron, a company that develops biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and chronic degenerative diseases;
- Advanced Cell Technology, a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of human embryonic and adult stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine;
- Neuralstem, a biopharmaceutical company,focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for central nervous system diseases based on transplanting human neural stem cells and small molecule drugs.

With the availability of the stem cell growth factors GM-CSF and G-CSF, most hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation procedures are now performed using stem cells collected from the bloodstream, rather than from actual bone marrow. This approach is greatly preferably to extracting stem cells directly from the bone marrow as it does not require that the donor be subjected to general anesthesia to collect the graft.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or GM-CSF, is a part of the immune system. It stimulates stem cells to produce granulocytes and monocytes, which help fight infection. GM-CSF is used as a medication to stimulate the production of white blood cells following chemotherapy and Leukine, the trade name of a particular strain of GM-CSF, was approved by U.S. FDA for acceleration of white blood cell recovery following autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia, or Hodgkin's disease in 1991. Similarly, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF or GCSF) is a hormone produced by a number of different tissues to stimulate the bone marrow to produce granulocytes and stem cells. G-CSF then stimulates the bone marrow to expel them from the marrow into the blood. In addition to be used with certain cancer patients to accelerate recovery after chemotherapy G-CSF is used to increase the number of hematopoietic stem cells in the blood before collection by leukapheresis for use in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Cord Blood Stem Cells - Cord blood is typically collected shortly after an infant is born. The procedure is straightforward, and may be done by the parents or other non-medical personnel. In fact, most cord blood banks provide a blood collection kit to parents that may then be sent to the blood bank for testing and storage. Most of these use the bag or gravity collection method, in which a blood bag is attached to a needle inserted into a sanitized section of the clamped and cut umbilical cord. The blood then flows freely into the bag. A small blood sample is also collected from the mother for testing.

Burns - Burns are caused by exposure of the body to excessive heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction or radiation. While internal organs may also be damaged, this discussion focuses mainly on the reaction of skin. Burns are typically classified into three groups, based upon their severity:

• First-degree burns are typically limited to redness (erythema), a white plaque, and minor pain at the site of injury. These burns usually affect only the epidermis.

• Second-degree burns additionally fill with clear fluid, have superficial blistering of the skin, and can involve more or less pain depending on the degree of nerve involvement. They reach into the superficial (papillary) dermis and may also extend into the deep (reticular) dermis layer of the skin.

• Third-degree burns additionally have charring of the skin, and produce hard, leather-like eschars or scabs that have separated from the unaffected part of the body. Frequently, there is also purple fluid. These burns are often painless, because nerve endings have been destroyed in the affected areas.

First degree burns as well as many mild second degree burns are easily treatable with standard first aid. These burns tend to heal quickly and often leave minimal, if any, scarring. However, more severe second and third degree burns, particularly when they involve extensive and/or sensitive areas of the body can require extensive skin grafting to address.

Introduction

There is great interest in stem cells because they have potential to replace defective or damaged cells resulting from a variety of disorders and injuries, leading to a range of new regenerative therapies. Stem cells also have value as a research tool, as their in vitro study would allow scientists to learn more about the function of various organs and the development of particular diseases; stem cells may also eventually permit drug developers to test emerging therapies on diseased cells.

For market-watchers in the pharmaceutical industry, the question is what potential they have and where they could take the pharmaceutical market. New scientific developments and recent changes in the U.S. Federal government's policy towards stem cells have made this potential more relevant. Kalorama Information has tackled the question in Stem Cells: Worldwide Markets for Transplantation, Cord Blood Banking and Drug Development. Kalorama analyst Alison Sahoo has built models to determine the best, moderate and worst case scenarios for the three key markets for stem cells:

Stem Cells in Drug Development
Stem Cells in Cord Blood Banking
Stem Cell Therapeutics

Stem cell therapeutics potentials are provided, broken down by disease:

Cardiovascular disease
Lung disease
Tooth disease
Arthritis
Wrinkles/aging skin
Incontinence
Osteoporosis
Diabetes
Cancer
Bladder disease
Infertility
Orthopedics
Alzheimer's disease
Burns (severe)
Lupus
Parkinson's disease
Liver failure
Multiple sclerosis
Critical limb ischemia
Intestinal disease
Sickle cell disease
Multiple myeloma
NH Lymphoma
Leukemia

The following trends are discussed in this report:

Ethical Questions
U.S. - State and Federal Initiatives
Research Funding
Cord Blood Initiatives
International Initiatives
Stem Cell Patents
Other Healthcare Regulations

Click for Report details:Stem Cells: Worldwide Markets for Transplantation, Cord Blood Banking and Drug Development