![]() ![]() In addition, some scientists say research using pluripotent cells could ultimately result in treatments for certain types of cancer, new methods of rapidly testing drugs and a basic understanding of human development and genetic abnormalities. This therapy is still used today.Įmbryonic, or pluripotent, stem cells offer even more dramatic prospects for new treatments and cures for conditions such as spinal cord injuries, blindness and juvenile diabetes, as well as Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The first and best-known success in adult stem cell research is the bone marrow transplant, in which stem cells from a donor’s bone marrow are used to regenerate healthy bone marrow in patients with leukemia and other blood diseases. Adult stem cell lines proliferate only for a limited time, while embryonic stem cells potentially can continue dividing forever. In addition to their versatility, embryonic stem cells are easier to grow in the laboratory than adult stem cells. The stem cells found in embryos, on the other hand, are pluripotent, that is, they have the unique ability to develop into any of the 220 cell types in the human body. Adult stem cells, found in brain, bone marrow, muscle, skin, blood and liver tissue, can change into a limited number of cell types. There are two basic kinds of stem cells: those found in certain adult tissues and those found in the cells of three- to five-day-old embryos. These so-called “building blocks of nature” can literally transform into any other type of cell in the body, making them potentially invaluable in treating many diseases and injuries. This ambition is one that will only be attained if stem cell researchers in multiple fields work closely with medicinal chemists, and tissue engineers towards the common goal of deriving effective stem cell-based therapies.For decades, stem cells have attracted the attention of medical researchers and others because they have the capacity to develop into specialized cells that make up a variety of organ and other tissues. Not least, we need to identify resident stem cells in different organs, understand the molecular switches that activate them, and that control their own regeneration, and ulitmately develop novel drugs that will facilitate the repair and regeneration of damaged or diseased tissue through pharmacological manipulation of our own stem cells. Yet major challenges remain before we can harness the full power of our own stem cells for use in regenerative medicine for many tissues and organs such as the heart and brain. If an adult patient could provide his or her own stem cells, this would avoid both the problem of immune rejection and the ethical objections to the use of embryonic stem cells. The use of stem cells to restore bone marrow in cancer patients is also in widespread use. Harnessing the power of adult stem cells to repair damaged tissue or generate repalcement organs is slowly moving from vision to reality the use of stem cells to repair damage to eyes, or replace skin that has been subject to severe burns is already a reality. Recent evidence suggests that most, if not all tissues may contain stem cells with the potential to repair damaged tissue. In adults, stem cells are responsible for the repair of damaged tissues, and the replacement and regeneration of tissues that turn over rapidly, such as the skin, blood or the lining of the intestine.
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