Published online May 26, 2015. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i4.745
Peer-review started: August 30, 2014
First decision: November 14, 2014
Revised: November 25, 2014
Accepted: March 16, 2015
Article in press: March 18, 2015
Published online: May 26, 2015
Processing time: 275 Days and 6.3 Hours
The degree to, and the mechanisms through, which stem cells are able to build, maintain, and heal the body have only recently begun to be understood. Much of the stem cell’s power resides in the release of a multitude of molecules, called stem cell released molecules (SRM). A fundamentally new type of therapeutic, namely “systems therapeutic”, can be realized by reverse engineering the mechanisms of the SRM processes. Recent data demonstrates that the composition of the SRM is different for each type of stem cell, as well as for different states of each cell type. Although systems biology has been successfully used to analyze multiple pathways, the approach is often used to develop a small molecule interacting at only one pathway in the system. A new model is emerging in biology where systems biology is used to develop a new technology acting at multiple pathways called “systems therapeutics”. A natural set of healing pathways in the human that uses SRM is instructive and of practical use in developing systems therapeutics. Endogenous SRM processes in the human body use a combination of SRM from two or more stem cell types, designated as S2RM, doing so under various state dependent conditions for each cell type. Here we describe our approach in using state-dependent SRM from two or more stem cell types, S2RM technology, to develop a new class of therapeutics called “systems therapeutics.” Given the ubiquitous and powerful nature of innate S2RM-based healing in the human body, this “systems therapeutic” approach using S2RM technology will be important for the development of anti-cancer therapeutics, antimicrobials, wound care products and procedures, and a number of other therapeutics for many indications.
Core tip: A fundamentally new type of therapeutic, namely “systems therapeutic,” can be realized by reverse engineering the mechanisms of the stem cell released molecules (SRM) processes. Recent data demonstrates that the composition of the SRM is different for each type of stem cell, as well as for different states of each cell type. Although systems biology has been successfully used to analyze multiple pathways, the approach is often used to develop a small molecule interacting at only one pathway in the system. A new model is emerging in biology where systems biology is used to develop a new technology acting at multiple pathways called “systems therapeutics”.