[Podcast] Harnessing the Amazing Power of Stem Cells
What if doctors could mitigate the impact of strokes by regenerating neurological pathways? How about reducing the need for heart transplants, while simultaneously improving lung function? According to Joshua Hare, M.D., it all boils down to harnessing the amazing power of stem cells.
On the latest episode of Inside U Miami Medicine, Dr. Hare — who is the director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine — shares groundbreaking discoveries in stem cell-based therapy.
Dr. Hare and his team are dedicated to studying and leveraging the properties that allow stem cells not only to differentiate into any cell type in the body, but also to reprogram other cells and repair their damaged tissue.
Stem cell therapy “shifted the way we think about cells as medicine, as opposed to proteins or molecules,” he said.
From a young age, Dr. Hare was fascinated with discovery and science.
“I wrought quite a bit of destruction experimenting with chemistry sets,” he said.
Dr. Hare’s environment shaped his curiosity. He grew up during the advent of biotech and molecular biology in South Africa, home of the first heart transplant, then moved with his family to Bethesda, Maryland, “the backyard of the NIH.” He interned at the institute while in high school, cutting and sequencing genes and making proteins.
Now, he’s leading a preeminent regenerative medicine team and transforming cells into treatments for a host of diseases. Their areas of focus include hematology, oncology, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics and diabetes.
“If you can inject a cell into the damaged area and replace that area, grow new myocytes, new cardiac muscle cells, perhaps that would be a cure or a treatment,” Dr. Hare said on the podcast. “We try to promote as may uses as possible of the [cells] we make and to also make as many treatments as possible.”
Tune into this fascinating episode to learn more about the latest in stem cell discovery and Dr. Hare’s journey as an internationally recognized scientist and inventor. Search “Inside U Miami Medicine” wherever you get your podcasts, or click here to listen on Apple podcasts.
Tags: Dr. Joshua Hare, Inside U Miami Medicine, Inside U Miami Medicine podcast, Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute