Canada's stem cell research needs 'big investment' to move forward, experts say

The field ofstemcell therapy is growingrapidlywith the promise to revolutionize medical treatments.But inorder to take it from research toreality, experts say much more time, support and funding is needed.

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Canada has long been considereda world leader in stemcell researchin part because the field was pioneered here in 1961, when Dr. James Till and Dr. ErnestMcCulloch discovered the existence of stem cells at the Toronto-based Ontario Cancer Institute.

More recent discoveries byCanadian scientists include a method tochangeadult skin cells into stem cellsand a way toconvertblood into nerve cells.

"It is an exciting time. This is an area where Canada does punch above its weight," says JanetRossant, executive director of theOntario Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

But Rossant and other experts suggest our level of funding commitment hasn't kept pace with what's happening elsewhere in the world.

"When we're talking about investment in research, we are not, as a country, investing the same percentage in research and development as some of our competitor countries. But we do extremely well on relatively small investments," she says.

It's an exciting time. This is an area where Canada does punch above its weight.- Janet Rossant, Ontario Institute of Regenerative Medicine

Governments and corporations around the world are heavily investingin stemcell research, though the field is still early in its development.A survey from a U.S.-based market-researchfirm found the global stem-cell market is expected to reach $40 billion US by 2020 and $180 billion US by 2030.

Meanwhile,new therapies are progressing intoearly clinical trials, with hopes that the regenerative capacity of stem cells could be used to better treat or possibly even cure a variety of diseases, from spinal-cord injury to diabetes, multiple sclerosis to Parkinson's disease.

Canada has held some of itsown clinical trials, such asa 2015trial inWinnipegto test a newstem cell therapy aimed at reducingthe effects of MS.

Still, these new treatments are some time away from gettingpast theclinical-trial stageand it will be costly to make them available for widespread public use.

"You really do not want to be rushing these (treatments) to the clinic," Rossant says. "You want to be sure they're safe and they're effective."

In spite of suchhurdles,Rossantsays she expects many new stemcell treatments to appearin the clinicin the next two tothree years, with one or two of thoseadvancing to that next level of clinical trialin about five years.

"It's happening.It's happening hereand it's happening around the world. A step at a time," she says.

Stem cell advocates call for strategy

Earlier this month,Prime Minister JustinTrudeauannounced$20 millioninfederal fundingto help establisha new facility for theCentre for theCommercializationof Regenerative Medicine, an organization working to find ways to manufacture stemcell therapytreatments for widespreaduse.

Trudeau announces funding for regenerative medicine

9 years ago

Duration 2:12

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces new funding to help with the development and adoption of cell technologies to deal with things such as stem cell transplants.

Ottawa had also announced a $114-million grant for a stemcell research hub at the University of Toronto in July 2015, to be called "Medicine by Design."

Figures from theCanadian Institutes of Health Researchshowthe governmenthas invested about $705 million instem cell research since 2001, including $64.5 million in the 2014-15fiscal year.

In comparison, the state of California with a population similar to that of Canada committed $3 billion in funding in 2004, to be rolled out over about 10 years.

Japan, Korea and Singapore, with their aging populations, are also making large amounts of money available for stemcell research and regenerative medicine.

"I think Canada, while we've been at the forefront, we need to make that next big investment to move the field forward," says James Price, CEO of the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation.

According to a2009 industry briefingon regenerative medicine fromMaRS,Canada ranked first in the world on citations for stemcell research, third in influential patents and fourthin government funding.

Thefoundation,a coalition of research and advocacy groups,is calling for a$1.5-billion national stem cell strategy to help maintain Canada's leading role over the next decade.

The foundation would like to seeone-third of the funding provided by Ottawa, with the rest coming fromcorporate or private investors.

Canada spendsmore than $200 billion annually on health care, with two-thirds of that going toward treatment of incurable diseases. Since stemcell therapy holds the potential to cure some of these diseases, Price says it's a worthwhile investment in Canada's health-care future.

But the need for a national plan, Price suggests, goes beyond more funding:it's also about focus.

"What we recognize is that we need to have a sustainable commitment to achieve the objective that we have in the plan," he says. "Our strategy is focused on 10 new curative therapies in the clinic in 10 years. It's focused on producing 12,000 jobs for Canadians and it's focused on attracting significant private-sector investment into the area.

"And to do that, you need a long-term commitment."