He successfully separated stem cells from umbilical cord membranes

During the Conference on Asian Reproductive Biology, which took place in Hanoi, many international scientists paid attention to the presentation of PGS, Dr. Phan Toan Thang, National University of Singapore on the availability of epithelial cells and cells. mesenchymal cells in the umbilical cord membrane. Dr. Thang is the first scientist in the world to discover and successfully separate stem cells from umbilical cord membranes.

Many scientists have asked him to cooperate to transfer this technology to establish a stem cell research center in their country.

Accidental detection from the umbilical cord

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Toan Thang.(Photo: ND)

After working as an intern at the Wound Research Institute, Oxford University (UK), returning to Singapore to work in 1997, PGS, Dr. Phan Toan Thang intended to switch to studying the source of available stem cells. At first, he intended to study stem cells from the placenta. But once, the umbilical cord was sent to his research room. Seeing the white and clean umbilical cord membranes as human skin, he presumed that there were membranes that had epithelial and mesothelioma cells. He tried a series of experiments and succeeded.

The study was published in early 2004 after only a few months of experimenting, but Dr Thang said it was a long-term accumulation process from intensive skin studies.

This work was licensed by him in the US in 2004. After more than two years, no such work has been published, and he became the first person in the world to successfully separate stem cells. umbilical cord membrane.

Stem cells (source cells) are unspecified primitive cells that retain their ability to differentiate into other cell types. This ability allows them to act as a body repair system, compensating for dead cells.

There are three main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells formed after fertilization. This group of stem cells is now facing opposition from many scientists, sociologists and politicians about ethics. In addition, it is not safe because of the ability to form cancer cells.

The second group is adult stem cells in the skin, marrow, bone, hair follicles, cornea, etc. The mission of adult stem cells is to compensate for the dead cells. Adult stem cells are safer to use but are smaller in number, and must be used when taking. On the other hand, it depends on the age of the person with the stem cells, the stem cells of the young people grow faster than the elderly.

Umbilical cord and placenta.

Epithelial stem cells separated from the umbilical cord.

Mesenchymal stem cells separated from the umbilical cord.

Finally, the stem cell (infant stem cells) is the umbilical cord and the placenta. Newborn stem cells have outstanding advantages by overcoming the limitations of other stem cells.

Each time patients treat stem cells, they need millions of cells. Prior to this technology, in order to have such a large amount of stem cells, scientists thought about multiplying stem cells in the laboratory. But if over many times, the cell quality is not good, the cell can get old, causing variation and the risk of creating tumors.

According to Dr. Thang, the cost of taking umbilical cord stem cells is reduced compared to other types thanks to abundant sources, highly effective separation and culture methods, which can yield billions of stem cells from one wire. Umbilical. The cells needed for the body are found in the umbilical cord such as: blood cells, mesenchymal cells, epithelial cells, endothelial cells .

TS Wins wallet and umbilical cord as a gift from Mother Nature to give to everyone that everyone has. So far, the umbilical cord has almost been discarded, but if used, the umbilical cord will become a never-ending source of stem cells.

Many applications are opened

In the world, stem cells have been used to treat skin diseases, beautify to incurable diseases like diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis.

Dr. Thang said that after successful research, scientists in Singapore and other countries have accepted his work in two different states. Some people welcome and expect its breakthroughs during application. But others look at him as a new competitor. He thinks it is inevitable because they have studied other stem cell technologies and they also want to develop their technology.

Over the past two years, many units of Singapore, America and Europe have cooperated to apply this technology. He and his colleagues continue to cooperate in research on treatment of cardiovascular, neurological, congenital deafness, diabetes, non-frozen blood . These studies are being carried out on a large scale with animals Good results. The next step will be experimenting on people.

The application of stem cells to treat pathologies such as chronic skin wounds or burns will be carried out on people next year, he said.

Applying stem cells from the umbilical cord to cure diseases in bone, articular cartilage, heart, nerves and other organ organs must be done slowly because it is more difficult and especially to ensure safety at a higher level .

His plan is to apply this technology in three phases: short, medium and long term.

Also from this work, he thought of the umbilical cord storage service as a private bank. So far, cord blood storage services have been applied in the US, Japan, Korea, Singapore and many other countries. Now he provides these countries with the technology to hold the umbilical cord membrane. Expected to start the year, he said.

The future of a stem cell project in Vietnam

In early 2006, Traditional Medicine Hospital was the first unit to receive his technology, then the National Burn Institute. These units have tested the application of stem cells in the treatment of chronic ulcers, burns, and slow wounds. These wounds often occur in patients with long-term diabetes, cancer patients must be irradiated.

Dr. Thang said the application of stem cells to treat burns and wounds has a good foundation in the world. He used to be a skin expert so he had a lot of experience to convey to Vietnamese colleagues when applying this technology. In addition, the pathology of long-term skin and wound injuries will increase and become a significant burden for society and the economy. This is again the easiest application in stem cell healing applications. Thereby, he can help Vietnam train technicians who are familiar with the study of cells and tissues, thereby moving to other more complex research areas such as bone, cartilage, brain heart, and nerves.

Master Mai Manh Tuan, Department of Experimental Oriental Medicine, Central Traditional Medicine Hospital:

So far, our hospital has applied stem cell technology to treat free trials for eight wounds and 20 shaping shifts.In particular, there have been six years of diabetic female patients with ulcers of the foot.Overall success, the patients all progressed very well.We continue to test free for the next patient.

Mr. Thang revealed, a project called Application and use of stem cells extracted from umbilical cord membranes for regenerative medicine is forming and about to be signed between the Ministry of Science and Technology and the research base of brother. As expected, the project will be signed in early 2007 and deployed in 3-5 years. In the first year, the Ministry of Science and Technology will provide funding for grassroots units such as National Burn Institute, Traditional Medicine Institute, Institute of Biotechnology . in training and technology transfer.

The supporter and promoter of this project implemented in Vietnam is Prof. Pham Manh Hung, former Vice Minister of Health, Deputy Head of the Department of Private Education and his teacher.

According to the plan of this project, in the short term, it will collect the umbilical cord of volunteers to serve the research and training, to help the technical experts familiar with the technology of cell capture and separation. After that, the cord cord storage service will be provided.

Thang said there are two types of umbilical cord storage: collecting umbilical cord to establish a umbilical cord for the community, and a service for those who need to keep the umbilical cord and keep fees within 20 year. The umbilical cord that is stored will be used to isolate the stem cells that treat the blood of the same child. The fee for keeping this umbilical cord in Vietnam can be applied in India, which is about $ 2,000 in 20 years.

As an Associate Professor of Foreign Studies Department, National University of Singapore Medical Faculty, Mr. Thang commented, Vietnamese students studying at his school are very good and he hopes that the young people in Vietnam will have excellent scientists. According to him, in the coming years, Vietnam should follow the direction of researching applied science, taking advantage of the successful research results in the world to avoid losing research funding from the beginning. Besides, it must invest slowly into basic research.

His secret is to have success in research, cooperation and very important cooperation, especially in the context of increasingly fierce international competition. Each person has a strength, a unique advantage, cooperation is a way to optimize time and resources, creating results faster with lower costs.

About PGS, Dr. Phan Toan Thang

- 1991: Graduated from Military Medical Academy.

- 1991-1995: Working at the National Burn Institute.

- 1995-1997: Trainee at Wound Research Institute, Oxford University (UK).

- 1997-2002: Working at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital.During this time, here, he completed his PhD thesis.

- 2002-2004: Working at the Department of Foreign Studies and the Institute of Foreign Studies, Stanford University, California (USA).

- From 2004 to present: Working at Foreign Department, National University of Singapore.

He and his colleagues published more than 45 research projects published in international scientific journals;1 chapter of the book;10 research projects with intellectual property registration.

He and his colleagues have been awarded many scientific awards, including: two Young Science Awards of the Singapore National Medical Research Council;an International Science Prize of the American Plastic Surgery Research Council.

Hong Van