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Stem Cell Research Summary Article

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Stem Cell Research Summary Article
By Lizika Marrée-Mills
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are identical cells that can characterize into specialized cell types. Most stem cells come from two main sources; embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
1. TwoTypesofStemCells
a. Embryonic stem cells
i. These are pluripotent cells. This means their main function is to make any other cell in the body. These cells are made from ones found in early human embryos, which are called blastocysts. ii. Embryonic stem cells are used to study how blastocysts grow in adults and how they affect other cells. iii. Embryonic cells start as a mass of cells and then grow and develop. This, in humans and other mammals is the start of an embryo that later forms the …show more content…

This can help us get a better understanding of how the human body works and how to better diagnose conditions.
b. Stem cells can also be used for drug discovery which can help to identify drugs which can be used for particular diseases. Scientists can grow tissue from stem cells and then to search for new drugs. This can improve drug function or alter diseases and how these drugs might affect different organs.
c. Stem cells can be used for cell replacement. Again more scientists are exploring how stem cells generate tissue that when transplanted will take the place of tissue damaged by diseases and other things. One example of this type of transplantation is macular degeneration, which is now being tested in clinical trials.
d. Stem cells can self repair. Scientists are research ways to stimulate the self repair of stem cells. This can make the stem cells duplicate and generate to heal damaged tissue or to prevent further damage.
4. ProcessInvolvedinStemCellResearch
The process of stem cell transplantation is a long and hard one. The process of transplantation is a newly discovered one that involves bone marrow and and chemotherapy to “condition” human body and replace the damaged stem cells.
The first part of the transplant process is called conditioning. In this process the patient starts to receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to damage and/or destroy the bad bone marrow in the sick person.
Once the stem cells are embedded into the patient the stem cell

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