Stem Cell Therapy Is The Answer To Bowel Disease

How will it be to form a new regenerative therapy using stem cells to

have control over gut microbes? This would open up many doors to tracing the roots
of various diseases caused due to gut microbes. This is how scientists at
the University of Toronto are devising a tailor-made gut-inhabited microbe to release
drugs when instructed.
The team led by associate professor David McMillen is on their quest to
develop regenerative medicine therapeutics to discover etiologies of
intestinal diseases. In order to do so, they are eyeing to put an engineered bacterium
into the gut to detect the source of different diseases occurred by the gut bacteria.

The Proposed Idea Of The Interdisciplinary Project

Intestinal stem cells are like progenitor or hematopoietic stem

cells with an ability to proliferate and differentiate, and they are well-endowed with
self-renewal capacity. Hence, when there are a wear and tear in the intestinal tissues,
they can easily manage the damaged tissues through self-renewal capacity. Taking this
into account, the scientists are collecting intestinal stem cells for regeneration in a
culture dish, aiming to improve their capacity of natural healing power in the body,
and also foster the tissue regeneration for replacement.
Physiological Process Leading To Bowel Or Intestinal Diseases

The discoveries of science have us going surprised by its amazing traits and functions
inside the body. Much to our surprises, nearly 100 billion cells confront an exit every
day through an intestine as a result of extreme wear and tear, which occurs due to the
digestion process in the body. However, due to these lost cells, we do not suffer any
extreme health condition unless something goes wrong with the entire physical
systems. We must thank to stem cells to replenish all these lost cells in
collaboration with the intestines, and lend their assistance in repairing damaged
tissues. However, when stem cell therapy cannot provide its support for tissue
repair, we can suffer from a range of diseases from inflammatory bowel
disease to cancer.
The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is quite high among the
children aged fewer than six. Adults are also not safe from various types of IBD like
Chron’s disease or ulcerative colitis, impacting heavily on the quality of the lives of
every person suffering it.
Read-
 Stem Cell Transplant At The Rescue Of Acute Myelofibrosis

What Makes IBD Act So Gruesomely?

Replacing damaged or malfunction cells in the intestines are the normal functions
of stem cells. However, the cells in the intestinal lining do not get any
replacement, it is to create a hole in the gut, and as a result, the leaky gut cannot digest
food properly, detoxify the wastes and ward off microbes from the gut. Therefore, the
gut becomes vulnerable to developing IBD.

Ways to curb IBD’s effects on health?

The microbiome- the resident gut bacteria, often considered as a neglected organ is
one of the crucial parts of our bodies to help us tackle many diseases by boosting our
immune system. Hence, scientists inserted engineered gut microbe into the lining of
the gut wall so as the manipulated microbe can detect an inflammation and possibly
help find ways to treat and even cure IBD.
Read-
 Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy For Type 1 Diabetes

In addition, the gut bacteria are wired to secreting an enzyme called muramyl
dipeptide (MDP), which makes a connection with receptor NOD2, residing in
the stem cells. As per reports, this enzyme works in compliance with this receptor
to influence intestinal stem cells to divide and create new cells for lining
repair.
It is likely to manipulate the gut bacterium to increase the production of MDP enzyme
so as to curb the inflammation in the intestine. It is possible to trigger human receptors
to urge stem cells so that they can double the healing of the gut lining and cure
Crohn’s disease.
From the study, we can hope for a fruitful approach in the future, which can better
health using stem cells and the regenerative therapeutics and medicines. The days are
not so far when we can achieve relief from these debilitating conditions with ease.
And credits remain at the foot of stem cells.

bowel disease, regenerative therapy, intestinal disease, stem cell therapy, stem cells,
stem cell transplant, intestinal stem cells