Vietnamese people create stem cells from the umbilical cord membrane

From the umbilical cord, Dr. Phan Toan Thang has created a technology that makes the whole world crave: Producing stem cells. Since then, it can heal burn wounds, diabetes, radiological ulcers as well as beauty care.

- What makes you think about separating stem cells from the umbilical cord membrane?

- Mr. Phan Toan Thang: As a doctor about burns and wounds, I have long dreamed of finding a cheap and effective treatment method, because skin-damaged patients are mostly children and poor people. . Finding the source of stem cells from the umbilical cord membrane is also a coincidence. One day (in 2004) someone sent umbilical cord to our research room. I tried using a technique to separate skin cells from the umbilical cord membrane and succeeded. However, finding a suitable culture medium for this type of stem cell takes a lot of time. Cell culture as well as cooking food, each dish has spices and cooking methods separately.

- What is the advantage of this technology compared to other stem cell technologies?

- Mr. Phan Toan Thang: Finding this technology has great significance in using stem cells in research and treatment, because it is almost the answer to all difficulties and obstacles of the public. Current stem cell technology.

Dr. Phan Toan Thang in the laboratory in Singapore.(Photo: ND)

The outstanding advantages of this technology are:

- Do not violate Western ethics and religious beliefs or cause harm to both mother and child in the process of seizing the umbilical cord. This is extremely important, especially in the US and Western countries.

- The seizure process is easy so it is convenient and efficient to store and preserve frozen. When necessary, we can use preserved umbilical cord cells to treat diseases such as burns, skin lesions, fractures, muscle atrophy, damage to cartilage and tendons, myelosuppression, diabetes, stuffing Myocardial blood, stroke, Parkinson's . and can even be used for beauty and beauty care.

- The supply of umbilical cord and umbilical cord is endless. One year about 100 million children are born, if we seize 100 million umbilical cord, each string is about 50 cm long, then we can wrap around the earth a few times. With a length of 50 cm and a radius of about 1 cm, we can capture billions of stem cells.

- Culture techniques are not too complicated and expensive so developing countries may soon adopt this technology.

In addition, the antigen and immunity of umbilical cord membrane stem cells are low, thus the possibility of grafting is low, suitable for co-stem cell transplantation without the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

- Can stem cells cause unpredictable mutations?

- Mr. Phan Toan Thang: When researching and putting into use a new drug or treatment method, safety factor is always on top. For the use of stem cells for treatment, we must also pay attention to two risks.

The first is the risk of spreading infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B. However, this risk is easily and smoothly controlled through the testing of donors as well as cells to ensure there is no one. What harmful pathogens are before being put into use.

Secondly, the risk may form malignant tumors. This is one of the biggest obstacles of embryonic stem cells. I keep liking in vitro embryonic stem cells like a 3-year-old child, depending on social conditions and circumstances, it can become a good person and a bad person in the future. Currently, science has yet to find an effective way to control the differentiation of in vitro embryonic stem cells into good cells, not evil cells. Adult stem cells and infant stem cells are safer. These two types are not malignant and have been used clinically for many years without the effects of malignant neoplasms.