Frequently Asked Questions for Stem Cells and Molecular Medicine

What are stem cells, where are they from and how do they work?

• Stem cells are unspecialized cells found in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, blood vessels, brain tissue, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, skin and liver and are capable of renewing themselves through cell division.
  
  
• The best sources of stem cells for multi-organ repair are bone marrow, peripheral blood and various stem cells from the umbilical cord.
  
  
• Under certain physiologic conditions, they can be modified to become tissue or organ specific cells with special functions. Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new possibilities in treating diseases.

Stem cells can come from 3 sources

• Bone marrow
• Peripheral blood
  – Donor’s blood is collected using a pheresis machine
• Umbilical cord blood including stem cells from Wharton’s Jelly, the umbilical cord itself, amniotic membrane and placenta.
  – IPMM can do a more comprehensive collection by collecting from all of these sources to be able to maximize the total number of stem cells collected.
  – The collection is done at the delivery suite

IPMM does not use embryonic stem cells, aborted fetal cells, induced pluripotent stem cells genetically engineered to have pluripotent or embryonic capabilities, or animal stem cells in treatments.

How are stem cells harvested, stored and administered?

• Stem cells are collected from the patient from one of the above procedures, are replicated, manipulated and electrically and chemically stimulated to enhance their healing capabilities. The modified stem cells are then reintroduced into the patient in the form of a vaccine.
  
  
• All stem cells are stored in liquid nitrogen deep freezing tanks

How do stem cells know what type of tissue to develop into?

• The differentiation of stem cells depends on many factors, including cell signaling and micro-environmental signals. Based on these cues, stem cells can be developed into healthy tissue needed to repair damaged tissue.

Is it safe?

• Using the patient’s own cells, reengineered through highly-complex processes, the body is able to restore organ function, fight off and prevent disease, and heal damaged organs and tissues in a safe, risk free and non-invasive manner.

How can I contact IPMM?

• For appointments and queries, please call The Medical City’s Institute of Personalized Molecular Medicine at tel. nos. (632) 988-1000/ (632) 988-7000 ext. 6307/6551, or visit our website at www.themedicalcity.com.ph.

What is the Institute of Personalized Molecular Medicine?

• The Institute of Personalized Molecular Medicine (IPMM) is a unit of The Medical City focused on the development and delivery of personalized molecular medicine treatments through a convergence of clinical services, basic science research and human resource development.
  
  
• The backbone of the IPPM is Regenerative Medicine which is a revolutionary field involving the engineering of cells and other biomaterials to prevent disease and maintain wellness, and to restore or replace organ function lost or impaired due to disease, injury or aging, all with the purpose of improving the quality of life.
  
  
• The IPMM is composed of three distinct but integrated physical spaces. Clinical services are provided at the 12th floor of the Nursing Tower, which houses an out-patient clinic with consultation and treatment facilities, as well as state-of-the-art in-patient rooms not found anywhere else in the country.
  
  
• Also on the 12th floor is the IPMM training room where lectures and forums are presented to both healthcare personnel and patients.
  
  
• Basic science research is undertaken at the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory located on the lower ground floor of the Nursing Tower where recent acquisitions have put us as best in the world.

What is Personalized Molecular Medicine and what are its benefits?

• Personalized Molecular Medicine is a paradigm of care that is founded on the belief that each patient is unique, the synergy of his genetic make-up, history and lifestyle.
  
  
• The patient must be front-and-center then, as he works with his provider in developing a customized, personalized roadmap to health that accounts for his uniqueness.
  
  
• In building the roadmap, physical, chemical, biological and medical techniques are applied that draw from an appreciation of health and disease at the molecular level.
  
  
• This includes the identification of molecular and genetic errors, and the delivery of molecular interventions specifically developed to correct these.

What diseases can IPMM address?

• Oncology (breast, lung, liver, colon, ovarian, kidney, prostate, multiple myeloma, leukemia, head and neck)
• Neurology (Parkinson’s, Dystonia, Alzheimer’s, Spinal Cord and Nerve Injuries)
• Cardiology (Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy, Post-myocardial infarction)
• Endocrinology (Diabetes, Diabetic Complications, Metabolic Disorders)
• Hepatology (Cirrhosis, Hepatitis)
• Nephrology (Acute and Chronic Renal Diseases)
• Orthopedics (Bone and Cartilage Regeneration, Osteoporosis)
• Ophthalmology (Cornea Damage, Retinal Diseases, Glaucoma)
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (Burns, Trauma)
• Wellness (Disease Prevention, Early Detection, Aesthetics)

What services does the IPMM offer?

1. Molecular Profiling

• The tests are used to identify genes and other biomarkers of disease to predict a patient’s response to treatments including drugs and other therapies.

2. Individualized Chemotherapy

• The most effective chemotherapeutic agents will be selected and administered by a Medical Oncologist or Hematologist based on the result of molecular profiling.

3. Targeted Biotherapy

• This makes use of biomolecules specifically selected to interfere with the growth of a patient’s cancer cells and fight drug resistance that may result from chemotherapy

4. Adaptive Immunotherapy

• This activates the body’s own immune system to fight cancer or treat various autoimmune diseases.
• There are two types of Adaptive Immunotherapies:
  – Dendritic Cell Therapy – employs specialized immune cells found in the blood stream to recognize the patient’s own cancer cells, seek these out and destroy them
  – Marrow Stromal Cell Therapy – regulates a patient’s immune response in the treatment of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders

5. Umbilical Cord Services

• These comprise the collection, processing, expansion and storage of the whole umbilical cord and cord blood as a rich future source of stem cells and other biomaterials.

What special technologies and infrastructure are made available through IPMM?

Live Cell Sorter

• TMC is the first hospital in the world to acquire this highly sophisticated equipment that rapidly measures multiple characteristics of individual cells, including size, internal complexity and fluorescence. This allows the physical sorting of cells based on specified properties so that the cells needed in a particular treatment may be purified.

Live Cell Confocal Fluorescence Microscope

• After sorting the cells to be analyzed, scientists and pathologists use the Live Cell Confocal Fluorescence Microscope to analyze the function of the cells, including time-lapse imaging of live cells. The use of the microscope is critical in the study of the structure and function of stem cells induced to differentiate into specific directions (e.g., immune cells, neural cells, liver cells), which is the foundation of many RM therapies.
  
  It is likewise useful in the analysis of chemotherapeutic drugs to be used or currently used by patients in order to monitor the emergence of drug resistance

Molecular Medicine Nursing Unit

• The Molecular Medicine Unit is a dedicated nursing unit on the 12th floor with 6 positive pressure (for patients with compromised immune systems) and 3 negative pressure rooms (for immune-compromised patients with airborne infections). These specially designed rooms ensure proper air flow to protect both patient and healthcare worker.
  
  
• The Unit is staffed by highly trained nurses specialized in molecular medicine and advanced cardiac life support.
  
  
• Patients with hematological malignancies such as leukemias, myelomas and lymphomas, as well as those with immunodeficiencies (e.g., SCID) and other immune system diseases will benefit from the protective environment provided by the Unit.

Who are the experts behind the service?

• Dr. Samuel D. Bernal, one of the most respected figures in the fields of Medical Oncology and Regenerative Medicine globally, is IPMM’s director.
  
  
• With Dr. Bernal at the helm, the Institute brings together clinicians from specialized medical fields and scientists from the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science in developing and delivering interventions that respond to wellness and illness at the molecular level.

What educational and training programs are available through IPMM?

• Programs are available for both patients and doctors who want to get a better understanding of molecular medicine and its applications. Lay fora are organized for patients and relatives who are considering the use of regenerative medicine as a treatment option.
  
  
• Collaborative conferences involving physician specialists, scientists and patients are organized to design the best personalized treatment plan for the patient.
  
  
• Masteral and certificate courses in molecular medicine through the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) and the Ateneo de Manila University School of Science and Engineering (ADMU SOSE) will likewise be developed.