There have been moments in the history of mankind that many people can comment on and recall with ease — the invention of the light bulb, the telephone, antibiotics, the discovery of DNA — the list goes on and on. Despite all of the knowledge and wherewithal we have at our disposal today, few people fully understand the impact that stem cell discovery has played in the human life. Unfortunately, many people are still citing embryonic stem cell controversy at the mention of stem cells, but there have been world-changing discoveries made in the field of stem cell research and development that have eradicated the need for embryonic stem cells and the concerns that have come with it.

The fact that embryonic stem cell discoveries provided a hope for prolonged life and recovery from illness was a triumphant discovery, to say the least. Despite the negative setbacks related to morality and mortality, the discovery in itself was, without exaggeration, magnanimous. Discovering that the human body, did, in fact, have the ability to heal itself provided scientists, medical professionals, and everyday people around the world with mind-blowing potential to change the fate of the human race forever. Now add to this discovery, a second discovery, years later, that would remove the questions or morality and provide a direct route to solutions that provided the same kind of hope to people who were desperate for help. That’s what Drs. Mitalipov, Paula Amato, M.D., and their colleagues in OHSU’s Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, did for stem cell therapies in 2007.

It is no longer a question of where will we get stem cells to help treat a condition, but when. Of course, all of these magical treatments are great in theory, but in practice, it is actually incredibly hard to find a stem cell specialist who can use your own stem cells to treat your condition, and that treatment depends on the condition. Enter SCI: a company with global connections in the medical and technology sectors that is working to help people get access to stem cell specialists that could help them unlock the power of their own stem cells. When SCI launches their SCIApplication platform, built on two blockchain technologies, including a custom blockchain designed by the IT department at SCI, the world will seem like a much smaller place.

The hope here is that people will recall a time before SCI and the work it is doing, and refer to this before/after situation in the same way that people refer to antibiotics, the lightbulb, and aviation: people might not be able to cite all the details of what has gone on here, but they’ll know that there was a time when stem cell therapies were not readily available and they’ll talk about how SCI changed all of that. But without discoveries made by people like Drs. Mitalipov, Paula Amato, M.D., who changed the way we interact with stem cells, none of this work would be possible. And it’s fascinating to think about how one decision can, in turn, set in motion a worldwide collaboration to bring these much-needed resources and findings to the world at large. The technology exists to help heal people with their own stem cells. Why shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to bring that technology to the people who need it most?

The work that SCI is doing will help to bring people closer to these life-changing solutions and provide a bridge to close the gap between what can end a life and what can save a life. There’s no guarantee that what will work for one person will work for another — in any area of medicine. That’s just the facts of the human body: we’re all different. But because stem cells are highly adaptable and pliable — and can be manipulated into almost any cell we need them to be — they stand the greatest chance of helping humans overcome disorders, diseases and conditions, not to mention infections, illnesses, and the natural degeneration of our bodies, minds, and spirit.

For more information about how SCI is changing the world with stem cell research, development, access and education, visit www.scia.io.