The Importance Of Stem Cells

Stem Cell research and its funding have caused a lot of controversy throughout the past years. Stem cells are cells that are present in all living organisms. These cells have the potential to grow into any type of cell, including blood cells, nerves, muscles, and pancreatic cells. Stem cell research is essential because of the beneficial aspects it has to offer. Stem cells could potentially treat conditions such as Alzheimer 's, Parkinson 's, birth defects, strokes, Diabetes, cancer, and help in the reconstruction of severely damaged organs. Although stem cell research withholds great potential for many medical advances, a lot of controversy surrounds the sources and methods of obtaining stem cells and the possibility of improper usage of the knowledge acquired from research and experimentation. It is necessary for scientist to continue research as well as recognizing any ethical issues that may be present.

With the hopes of curing the patient’s afflictions, these newly grown cells would then be transplanted into the patient. With this approach come major problems such as the formation of tumours, which is caused by the distinguishing trait of stem cells. Because stem cells are able to divide for an unlimited amount of time, it has been found that the cells will not know when to stop dividing and they will continue to divide even after being transplanted into the patient (Herold 48). This form of treatment is counterproductive, as uncontrollable cell division will produce tumours and potentially cause cancer, which is one of the ailments that stem cell research promises to cure.

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

Medically stem cell research shows promising results in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases and tissue failure. Adult stem cells have already been used to cure abnormalities in blood. On the other hand ESC have not been used on humans, but they have showed promising

In Conclusion, Doctors are using stem cells to help cancer patients who have depleted immune systems due to chemotherapy and radiation. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s lust for knowledge caused him to create a creature. Doctor’s today in stem cell research are finding new ways to treat or cure cancer.

The reason stem cells are such a big breakthrough in medical technology is that they are cells that have the remarkable ability to grow into just about any cell in the body (Introduction n. pag). In fact, stem cells that remain in the human body after birth “serve as a sort of internal repair system,” in many tissues and organs (Basics n. pag). This is an extremely efficient way of healing since stem cells can become

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

From the medical perspective, stem cell research is viewed as very promising due to the fact that if stem cells can be introduced into patients with a range of illnesses, they could possible help regenerate the tissues and organs of the patients and thereby help heal illnesses (and especially degenerative illnesses) that are currently incurable. For example, Lovell-Badge has indicated that diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease are among the illnesses that could

According to the National Institute of Health, “Stem [cells] in tumors cause 1:250,000 cells to be cancer cells”(Goldthwaite). Statistics produced from this study, conducted by the National Institute of Health, prove the danger of cancer cells forming from stem cell therapy. Furthermore, the same study reveals “CSCs [cancer stem cells] arise from stem cells” (Goldthwaite). These discoveries show that if humans use stem cells than cancer stem cells can arise as a result. There is a direct correlation between stem cells and cancer stem cells. Unless stem cell research cease, many humans will develop

Percentage of stem cells in these tumors may be related to reccurence and late reccurences.

Stem cells are thought to be able to cure diseases such as lupus, arthritis, sclerosis, etc.

Stem cells are capable of doing an abundance of things in the world with the vast variety of tasks that they can accomplish. In certain ways stem cells can be seen as unsatisfactory, but the benefits outweigh the faults overall. Although some believe that the usage of stem cells is equivalent to “playing as god” (Stem 1), they can still benefit the world in how the cells are used. Stem cell therapy has many benefactors to it, and advanced research into it could benefit people all over the world. WIth more in depth research into stem cell therapy, lives could be improved and possibly saved. Incurable diseases now have a chance to be curable, and terminally sick people have a chance at life again. The research of this therapy is mandatory in

The article suggests that stem cells can cause and prevent cancer. It states that cancer is a stem cell disease. Not all cancers are the same and research suggests that these cancerous stem cells may hinder the cancer from developing and returning. Each of our organs have embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic stem cells that are related to that organ. These stem cells control the reproduction and growth of the organ. It is believed that the cancerous stem cells found in the organ may cause reproduction and growth of cells inside a cancer. These cancerous stem cells are usually undetected therefore cancer drugs and treatment do not affect the cancerous cells. This is what causes the cancer to relapse or come back after a person

For starters stem cells are able to self-renew infinitely, allowing them to be harvested in the future with correct methods not yet available in these times, this processes known as proliferation. They have two more key unique traits one being their ability to differentiate into other cells that are specialised with functions and characteristics another trait is stem cells being so unspecialized which gives them the ability to emerge as highly specialised cells. Under circumstances involving physiologic or experimental conditions stem cells have the ability to become tissue or even cells specific to certain organs around the body. Stem cells have a very high potential to diminish many diseases or conditions that haunt many places and many people around the world. Studies have shown that stem cells could hold the key to understanding cancer and hopefully a way to target it and kill the cancer cells or prevent them from occurring in the first place. Cancer occurs when stem cell division does not occur as it is supposed to. Certain cancer types can already be eradicated by the use of stem cell treatments, even some diseases can be fought with them. If stem cell treatments are improved they could very much be the future of medical technology.

Stem cells are a growing phenomenon in the cancer research world. Researchers are getting closer and closer to a cure, they are exploring other options to treat cancer. Stem cells are relatively new to the medical world, making their first appearance in 1956 (”Timeline for Stem Cell Research”, 1), and as with everything, there are flaws. Despite these flaws, stem cell treatment is something more people are turning to, as it is widely becoming one of the most popular ways to treat cancer (besides radiation and chemotherapy, respectively). Stem cell treatments are not accepted by all, as the rising questions are becoming, ‘Do stem cells worsen cancer?’, or better yet ‘Can stem cell treatments give rise to new types of cancer?’ My purpose in this paper is to discuss not only the bad, but also the good in stem cells.