The Importance Of Stem Cell Research

The first type of stem cell, an embryonic stem cell, is known for being able to continuously multiply, as well as for being pluripotent. They can be “derived in vitro from the blastocyst of an embryo usually left over from in vitro fertilization” (Forraz & McGuckin, 2011, p.61). Unlike other types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells have yet to be used in any kind of clinical treatment of patients. The high risks of “immune rejection” or “teratoma formation” are serious obstacles (Harris, 2009, p.182). The second type of stem cell, adult stem cells, is primarily considered to be multipotent and may be found in “specific adult human tissues” such as the skin or bone marrow, just to name a few. Over the last twenty years, the amount of scientific research and trials using adult stem cells has grown significantly, despite their lower potency than embryonic stem cells (Forraz & McGuckin, 2011, p.61). Lastly, cord blood stem cells, are technically considered to be a special type of adult stem cell, but their youthful properties give them “greater restorative and regenerative potential.” Directly following the birth of a child, these stem cells can be collected from the blood in the umbilical cord (Steenblock & Payne, 2006, p.9). Embryonic, adult, and cord blood stem cells

Stem cell derivatives may be a beneficial source of transplantable cells that may be able to repair and regenerate certain tissues. If this could be accomplished, the medical benefits would be enormous, such as helping Parkinson disease, MS, diabetes, and muscular dystrophies. Although, this could be an extremely important advancement in the field of medicine, there exist many ethical and religious issues that look down upon destroying embryos for research. The stem cells that are focused on in this report are embryonic stem cells. However, adult stem cells may also be used to give rise to lineages of cells that are more specialized than themselves. They are more differentiated than embryonic stem cells. Research using adult stem cells is much less controversial since they can be obtained without destroying an embryo. There is also a strong political aspect that has been brought up in recent discussions regarding groups who try to push adult stem cell research over embryonic stem cell research since they consider it a more permissible option. In contrast, people in favor of embryonic stem cell research try to discredit the potential of adult stem cell studies.

Any time someone had to get a lung transplanted there would be no need to find a donor; and once the lung was transplanted, the patient would not have to receive drugs afterwards, because his immune system would automatically accept the lung. Also, organs that cannot possibly be donated and accepted in a new body, like spinal tissue, could be duplicated. This means if an individual was paralyzed, hers or his spinal tissue could be duplicated by stem cells and then transplanted. In addition, it may become possible, with embryonic stem cells, to generate healthy heart muscle cells in the laboratory and then transplant those cells into patients with chronic heart disease. Through the use of embryonic stem cells, brain cells and many other cells can be cultured and then transplanted into a patient to cure Alzheimer's disease and other brain and heart related diseases. A person diagnosed with diabetes, a disease in which a person is unable to produce insulin, can have cells cultured to form insulin producing cells and have them transplanted. Because of the limited number of cells adult stem cells are able to produce; these diseases would be unable to be cured through their use. Stem cells could also be used to test new drugs. With this achievement scientists could be able to cure cancer and many other diseases. This would reduce the view of cancer as a fatal disease, to something that can be overcome, such as a common cold. Patients

Attempts were made to fertilize mammalian eggs outside of the human body and in the early 1900s, it was discovered that some cells had the ability to generate blood cells. In 1968, the first bone marrow transplant was performed to successfully to treat patient’s severe combined immunodeficiency. There have been many stem cell discoveries since the early 1900’s but the two majors were in 1998 when, Thompson, from the University of Wisconsin, isolated cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos and developed the first embryonic stem cell lines. Then, in 1999 and 2000, scientists discovered that manipulating adult mouse tissues could produce different cell types.

Bone marrow transplants save a lot lives every year, a suitable donor is regrettably not always available. Since organs are routinely harvested from cadaveric organ donors, Scientists decided to assess such a possibility for bone marrow. They analyzed the functional properties and the phenotypic markers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) from cadaveric bone marrow. Fresh bone marrow was capable of growing and developing in cell suspension for 2

Another health problem that treatment with embryonic stem cells can cause is tissue rejection. As is the case with current organ transplantation procedures, embryonic stem cells are harvested from many people all who possess a unique set of genes; therefore, the stem cells are not genetically matched for each patient (Herold 48-49). The difference in genetics causes the body to reject the tissue and the immune system begins to attack the transplanted tissue like it would a virus or bacteria in an attempt to remove the perceived threat. To avoid the implanted tissues being rejected by the body, doctors must prescribe immune suppression drugs that must be taken for the remainder of the patient’s life, even with these drugs the tissue may still be rejected and

this research would be to identify the factors that are involved in the cell making process that determines cell specialization. A few of our extreme medical conditions, like birth defects and cancer, are a direct result of abnormal cell specialization. If researchers obtain a better understanding of the normal cellular process, they can isolate the causes of these deadly illnesses. The most exciting potential use for stem cells is the generation of tissues and cells. Many diseases are a direct result from complications of cellular functions or destruction of tissues in the body. Many people donate organs and tissues to replace failing or destroyed tissues. Unfortunately, there are many more people suffering from these disorders than there are organs to transplant. That is where stem cells step in. They will give humans a chance to have a renewable source of cells and tissues that will treat a slue of diseases, and disabilities such as, Parkinson’s, stroke, burns, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injury, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and

These cells can grow into many things such as organs, tissues, muscles, or blood. These cells are able to renew themselves through cell division. One of the most unique aspects to these cells are they are able to replenish and repair themselves as long as the person is alive. This can be seen most commonly in red cells of the bone marrow. These cells are continuously repairing and replacing damaged and old cells. Because of stem cells unique ability to renew themselves into new cells, scientist have shown great interest in these cells. Stem cells that are being studied most by scientist are embryotic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem

The ability to manipulate the stem cell corresponding to a specific organ/tissue remains important. A type of stem cell that can be manipulated is the embryonic stem cell. These stem cells descend from embryos aging from three to five days (Watt) (Driskell). During earlier stages, scientists describe embryonic stem cells as “blastocysts” which contain over one-hundred and fifty cells (Watt) (Driskell). They duplicate into more cells or transform to any cell located in the body (Watt) (Driskell). This “duplication” allows embryonic stem cells to regenerate and repair diseased tissues. Embryonic stem cells gain importance in cancer treatments—if doctors diagnose patients with leukemia, then during chemotherapy, the doctor can infuse embryonic stem cells into the body. Since the cells are young, they can repair the targeted cell, aiding cancer treatments and the patient. In addition, this technique is used with another type of embryonic stem cell called “pluripotent stem cells”. Pluripotent stem cells originate as inner mast cells (cells

Scientists are interested in stem cells for their ability to become any type of cell in the body, a process called differentiation. Theoretically, this allows for limitless possibilities in disease

“Through the isolation and manipulation of cells, scientists are finding ways to identify young, regenerating ones that can be used to replace damaged of dead cells in diseased organs. This therapy is similar to the process of organ transplant, only the treatment consists of the transplantation of cells rather than organs. The cells that have shown by far the most promise of supplying diseased organs with healthy cells are called stem cells.” (Chapter Preface)

All blood cells and components have vital roles making it necessary that they are replenished continuously; this is achieved by haematopoiesis, where there is a differentiation of a population of pluripotent cells, known as haematopoietic stem cells. HSCs are unspecialised cells that can be differentiated into multiple lineages (figure 1) of mature blood cells (Park et al., 2015). Not only do these cells possess the potential for multipotency they also have the ability of self-renewal, making them a suitable curative to be used in transplantation. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an evolving technique which involves the intravenous infusion of HSCs designed to restore effective haematopoiesis, bone marrow and immune system

Stem cells are possibly the most important bodily cell, being an undifferentiated, or unspecialised cell capable under certain circumstances of developing into any of the different cell types that make up the tissues and organs of the human body (“National Institutes of Health,” 2015). In the early 3 – 5 day old stage of an

Wang et al. (2012) stated that, one of the abundant source of adult stem cells is bone marrow. According to Weir et al. (2006), there is high possibility in circulating bone marrow cells could serve as precursors for a wide variety of cells scattered throughout the body. Cells other than true hematopoietic stem cells derived from bone marrow can serve as circulating stem or precursor cells. It has recently been shown that impressive repopulation of destroyed liver tissue can be generated from bone marrow cells. In addition, rather than a precursor, bone marrow cells could contribute to new β–cell formation as a facilitator Bonner-Weir et al., 2006, p.411). Moreover, current study suggests that bone marrow contains pluripotent cells that are capable of being reprogrammed in order to differentiate into insulin-producing cells (Wang et al., 2012).

DESPITE embryonic stem cell potential differentiating into many cell types in the blastocyst stage, most adult stem cells had known inherent limited potential for postnatal tissue and organ regeneration. Among the sources of phenotypically characterized adult stem/progenitor cells,1–3 the hematopoietic system has traditionally been known as an organized, hierarchical system spearheaded by multipotent and self-renewing stem cells at the top, followed by lineage-committed progenitor cells in the middle, and finally, lineage-restricted precursor cells at the bottom, which give rise to terminally differentiated cells.4 However, another stem cell population, adult human circulating/peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cells, has been