Stem Cells - Analysis of an Emerging domain of Scientific and Technological Endeavour

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Embryonic or somatic stem cells are seen as promising therapeutic tools for the treatment of number of several severe human diseases such as leukemia, diabetes, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases. Embryonic stem (ES) cells have been isolated from the mouse more than twenty years ago, and it is only during the last five years that human ES cells have successfully been isolated and propagated in a very limited number of laboratories mostly in United States, Australia, Israel and Sweden.

Somatic stem cells became also highly promising reagents in the past few years
when a number of data suggest their potential for efficient differentiation into various cell types. In the hematopoietic system, somatic stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells) have been used for transplantation therapy for a long time. There is also number of studies that indicate that cancer takes place in somatic stem cells. This is particularly true in tissues with high level turnover such as skin, intestine, blood and human breast gland. Striking parallels can be found between stem cells and cancer cells and similar mechanisms may regulate self-renewal in those two cell types. 

Because of the expected demand for stem cells for human medical applications, there is a real need for supporting research aimed at developing human stem cell lines and their applications. This aim requires that we rapidly increase our knowledge of the basic features and properties of stem cells either from embryonic or somatic origin, human as well as from animal models. 

In this report, we provide an overview of stem cell research using both bibliometric and technometric indicators. As far as bibliometric indicators are concerned, we can conclude that those countries that are most active in scientific research in all fields combined have top activity in stem-cell research, too. The contribution of the USA amounts to almost 50% of all stem cell related papers in the world. The corresponding value in all science fields combined is about one third. The share of the USA in stem cell research, however, decreased by about 10% if one compares the two sub-periods. The shares of Japan and Germany, in turn, grew considerably. The low share of Russia – otherwise holding rank seven in all fields combined – is worth mentioning. The share of Flanders reflects an “average” growth and the share of Flemish stem cell research papers in the Belgian national output amounts to 60%. 

Patenting in stem cell research and technology started already in the early 1980s. A strong increase is noted beginning of the 1990s followed by stabilisation (USPTO) and even decline (EPO) at the beginning of the years 2000 and 2001. When looking at the technology areas stem cell patents are related to, we find biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to be the largest areas where stem cell patents relate to. As also indicated by the, to our knowledge, only study on stem cell technology commissioned by the Canadian Biotechnology Secretariat, our analysis also point out the U.S. as the most important
nation in (developing) stem cell technology (measured by the number of patents). The U.S. by far accounts for the largest share in stem cell patents, followed by Japan, Germany, the UK and France. 

Belgian and Flemish patenting activity in stem cells is limited and low with 12 patents (10 in the EPO and 2 in the USPTO). Flanders accounts for almost all of these patents when looking more in detail at the involved organisations/inventors. A number of countries is strongly specialising in stem cell research and technology. Among them is Canada, the U.S., China, the UK, Israel, Singapore and India. The Belgian/Flemish focus on stem cell research and technology can be typified as rather ‘neutral’.

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