Stem Cells – The Complete Guide
Stem Cells – The Complete Guide
What are stem cells? What do they do? Why are they are important?
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are unspecialized or un-programmed cells. They can be used to regenerate muscle, cartilage, bone and other specialized cells.
Types of stem cells
Within the new field of science called regenerative medicine, there are four types of stem cells used for treatments, research and development:
• fetal stem cells
• embryonic stem cells
• adult stem cells
• cord blood stem cells
Fetal stem cells:
Fetal stem cells are extracted from the developing tissues and organs of a terminated fetus. A fetus contains a relatively large supply of stem cells which are needed for growth and maturation.
There are a few issues with using fetal stem cells for treatment purposes:
1. There is an ethical and moral debate regarding the use of fetal tissue for treatment and research purposes.
2. There is a risk of tissue rejection (similar to the rejection in a heart, liver or blood transplant).
Embryonic stem cells:
Embryonic stem cells are extracted from a human egg that has been fertilized by a sperm. These stem cells are pluripotent; this means that they can transform into any cell type found in the body with no restrictions or limitations. Embryonic stem cells can easily be matured into any functional adult cells and have the potential to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Cancer and more.
Two main issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells for treatment purposes:
1. The ethical and moral debate regarding the use of a fertilized human egg for research and treatment purposes.
2. The potential for tissue rejection (similar to the rejection in a heart, liver or blood transplant).
Adult stem cells:
Adult stem cells are the reserve supply of cells extracted from adult organs and tissues. Their function is to repair damaged cells. Adult stem cells are semi-programmed, for instance, a skin stem cell cannot develop into a heart muscle cell. They can only develop into skin cells.
Cord blood stem cells:
Cord blood stem cells are extracted from the umbilical cord. They can only transform into different types of blood cells. Cord blood stem cells can be used to treat a number of blood related diseases and cancers.
In using a patient’s own stem cells the risk of rejection is minimized and the process is less invasive as compared to the extraction of bone marrow. The curative benefits of cord blood stem cells have not yet been realized.
Recent progress in stem cell research
Recently, there have been discoveries suggesting that cord blood stem cells and other adult stem cells, under the right circumstances, may be conditioned to transform into organ cells. On Feb. 11, 2008, in an early online edition of the research journal Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, UCLA researchers published their progress regarding genetic alteration of human skin cells to create cells that are nearly identical to human embryonic stem cells.
Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat a variety of different diseases. A list of common treatments is available at www.mazecordblood.com/cordblood-transplant.htm. In addition, a number of researchers are working on a variety of exciting treatments using cord blood. These include treatments for diabetes and cerebral palsy.
In Barcelona on June 2008, doctors implanted a newly constructed windpipe into a 30 year old patient. The windpipe was partially constructed with tissue grown from the patient’s own adult stem cells. This is one of the first transplants in which the doctors created a functional, biological structure that can’t be rejected. This advancement eliminates the need for anti-rejection drugs, which can often be accompanied by side effects such as high blood pressure, cancer and kidney failure. Details of the Clinical transplantation of a tissue-engineered airway can be found online in The Lancet medical journal.
These examples of stem cell treatment illustrate the healing potential of stem cell research.
Read a more detailed version of this article. http://www.mazecordblood.com/stem-cell-white-paper.htm
Michael A. Werner, MD is the clinical director of M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories, www.mazecordblood.com. He is a specialist in the cryobanking (freezing) of health products. He personally oversees the cord blood banking process at M.A.Z.E. Dr. Werner is on the faculty of NYU College of Medicine, the New York Medical College and Einstein College of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco and completed his residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan.
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