Stem Cell Pioneer, Professor Hwang Woo-suk once said, “Without marrying biotechnology (BT) with information technology (IT), it is difficult to put research results to practical use with BT alone.”

He intends to use remote controlled sub-miniature robots to identify treatment locations, check treatment success status and transmit the data in real-time and much more.

Professor Hwang’s research have been raising expectations with his ground-breaking research on stem cells and cloned pigs that they will greatly contribute to treatments for incurable diseases.

His modus-operandi for treating incurable disease using stem cells is as follows:
1. Genes of patients’ body cells will be modified and the cells will be cloned.

2. Stem cells will be derived from cloned body cells and will be developed into pancreas cells or immune cells.

3. Then those cells will be transplanted into patients’ bodies.

Research on cloned pigs by Dr. Woo-suk is aimed at producing organs that will be transplanted into patients’ bodies.

For both research fields, it is very critical to check for side-effects after stem cells or pig organs are transplanted into human bodies.

Professor Hwang explained, “With BT alone, we cannot predict which side-effects will be triggered by transplants of stem cells or pig organs, and when.

A subminiature robot will move through blood vessels to spots that need to be treated. There, the robot will check whether transplanted stem cells or pig organs would function properly and transmit the results of the check to the patient’s doctor in real time.

The doctor can remotely control the robot to administer drugs or incise.

Professor Hwang said with conviction, “By linking IT to BT, we will be able to treat incurable diseases such as hereditary diabetes and AIDS using stem cells in the near future.”

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