The Promise of Stem Cell Research Yields Double-Digit Growth Rates, Reports BCC Research

Wellesley, June 03, 2016: Although products based on stem cells have yet to form an established market, unlike some other potential applications of bioscience, stem cell technology has already produced a number of significant products in important therapeutic areas. BCC Research reveals in its new report that researchers around the world are using stem cells to achieve new outcomes that will mark a paradigm shift in drug discovery and the medicine world.

Stem cells are the first cells formed when an egg and a sperm join and the resultant zygote begins to divide. They are the precursors of all the different types of cells that make up the body. They are characterized by self-renewal — that is, the capacity to continue dividing to make ever larger populations of stem cells — and the capacity to differentiate into any mature cell type when they receive appropriate chemical instructions.

Several broad categories of stem cells exist, including: embryonic stem cells (derived from blastocysts), fetal stem cells (obtained from aborted fetuses), adult stem cells (found in adult tissues), cord blood stem cells (isolated from umbilical tissue), cancer stem cells (which give rise to clonal populations of cells that form tumors or disperse in the body) and animal stem cells (derived from non-human sources).

The global stem cell market is projected to grow from about $6.7 billion in 2016 to nearly $12.3 billion in 2021, registering a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.1% for the period. The Americas stem cell market should reach $2.3 billion and $4.1 billion in 2016 and 2021, respectively, on a five-year CAGR of 12.1%. The Asian stem cell market should total $1.5 billion and $2.9 billion in 2016 and 2021, respectively, reflecting a five-year CAGR of 14.2%.

Already in its young life, the stem cell field has given rise to a market with three major components: stem cell therapies, research and services serving stem cell companies and institutions, and cord blood banking services.

Stem cell therapies are still at an early stage of development; the underlying science is still being explored and until researchers have a much more comprehensive knowledge of the field, the era of “off-the-shelf” stem cell therapies will not materialize. For now, stem cell therapy is operated on a per-patient basis, with one notable exception: autografting of bone marrow stem cells for hematological malignancies. This is already a well-established practice. It is, however, highly expensive and therefore prevalent mainly in affluent nations and classes.

“Recent technical advances in the field have enabled the in vitro generation of complex structures resembling whole organs, termed ‘organoids,'” says BCC Research analyst Paul Evers. “Most approaches use three-dimensional (3D) culture systems that allow stem cell-derived or tissue progenitor cells to self-organize into 3D structures. Since organoids can be grown from human stem cells and from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, they create significant prospects for modeling development and diseases, for toxicology and drug discovery studies, and in the field of regenerative medicine.”

The Global Market for Stem Cells (BIO035F) analyzes the regulatory environment, healthcare policies, demographics, and other factors affecting stem cell-related markets. Analyses of global market drivers and trends, with data from 2014, 2015, estimates for 2016 and projections of CAGRs through 2021 also are provided.

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)