BBC Stem Cell Stories: Toddler Adam’s Brittle Bone Condition and No Longer Wheelchair Bound MS Victim Stephen

06/04/2017

Last week BBC Two aired yet another exceptional episode, and the last in series, of Incredible Medicine: Dr Weston’s Casebook. In the final episode of the series, Gabriel Weston continued to explore some of the most extraordinary cases in medicine through the secrets of the human body. Featured here were two examples of stem cell treatment, that we just had to share.

Dr Weston started explaining Stem Cells as“one of the most amazing discoveries of modern medicine”then added:

“Stem-cell research is one of the major new frontiers in medicine. Unlocking some of the most enduring mysteries of the human body and enabling us to treat diseases that we once thought were incurable.”

From there the BBC documentary explores two examples of Stem Cell therapy that are quite simply “incredible”.

The first example reported on is toddler Adam King’s story and one that brings hope to Baby’s with Brittle Bone Disease because of the use of stem cells. The coverage explains how expecting mother of 18 weeks Fiona Ryan, who’s routine ultrasound scan identified that something was not quite right with her unborn child Adam. A rare condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta was the diagnosis.

The episode explores the emotion of the parents at the time leading up to birth of their child and reports how they were relieved at the sound of a crying baby post birth.  This then followed by the detail of how a successful stem cell therapy preformed pre-birth that means today Adam is incredibly more able than his parents could have hoped for and shares examples of his remarkable progress.  Dr Weston comments on plans for Dr Gotherstrom’s EU funded clinical trial that seeks to treat brittle bone disease before children are born.

As the world’s first tooth stem cell bank, we are naturally close to the developments and the lifesaving therapies that are happening today using stem cells. Over the past 11 years, we have released material 17 times, to members who have stem cells banked with us and used this material in treatments.

Stem cell therapy is indeed a reality and is changing and saving lives today. The promise held in the developments and clinical trials happening right now, means personalised regenerative medicine is  the future of medicine and healthcare.  

 New developments in personal regenerative medicine along with the number of different disease and illnesses seeking to be over come, are ever growing. One area we keep a close eye on here at BioEden is Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This the second condition the BBC reports on…

This episode features the miraculous story of Stephen Storey. In 2013, Stephen went from being an extremely active and highly energetic adult to being confined permanently to a wheelchair. Stephen diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. One day a Marathon runner, 18 months later paralysed and under 24 hour hospital care, Stephens decline was rapid.

Stephen then underwent a pioneering treatment that utilised the very characteristic of stem cells, to repair and replace damaged cells, in a therapy that lead to replacing his entire immune system with a new one. Stephen was fortunate enough to be able to acquire his own stem cells – cells that proved to be healthy enough for treatment. These very cells were used to build a new healthy immune system. The episode then tells of Stephen’s story and how his recovery began, something he describes as an “Incredible journey”.

The episode is available on iPlayer until 3rd May 2017, you can view it here: Incredible medicine: Dr Weston’s Casebook. Series: 1 – Episode 6

Cited content:

Adam Ryan – Brittle Bones: Can be found at 25:50

Stephen Story – Multiple Sclerosis: Can be found at 34:22