Definition: What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are undifferentiated found in the human body that have the potential to develop into many different cell types that accomplish different functions withinb the body
Most cells in the human body are differentiated. that means they are built to function in a particular organ system and carry out a specific function. A red blood cell, for example, is
designed to carry oxygen, while a white blood cell is designed to fight off disease. These differentiated cells result from the processof cell division, a process that begins with
undifferentiated stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells, found in embryos, can give rise to all the cells found in the human body – cells as diverse as those found inthe brain, bone, heart and skin.Multipotent stem cells, found in adults or in babies’ umbilical cords, have a more limited capacity. Their development is limited to the cells that make up the organ system that
they originated from. For example, a multipotent stem cell in the bone marrow can develop into a red blood cell, a blood platelet or a white blood cell, but not into a skin cell
or brain cell.
Regenerative medicine aims to use stem cells, especially pluripotent stem cells, for treating and preventing diesease. Stem cells are prospected to be used for :
• Growing replacement cells or whole replacement organs. Human stem cells can be used to generate specialized cells in a laboratory and then be transplanted to
replace damaged cells in the body. These could be used to treat a range of conditions from Parkinson disease to heart failure to spinal injuries. For example, in the case of a spinal injury, neural stem cells could be generated to replace damaged tissue.
•”Patching” organs that don’t work properly – like helping a diabetic person’s pancreas produce insulin. The newest therapies in research on stem cells and
diabetes involve generating islet cells that produce insulin to replace those that a diabetic person’s immune system destroys.
•In the study of human development, stem cells could help researchers determine why, in the early stages of development, some cells become cancerous or how genetic diseases develop. This could lead to answers as to how they might be prevented.
• For research purposes, stem cells may be useful as a testing ground for new drugs before they are used on humans. Stem cells may be more accurate for research
results than using animal subjects, as well as solve the ethical dilemma of using animals for medical testing. Stem cell research has the potential to bring new treatment options to patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, burns, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries
Source
University of Minesotta official web site (http://www.ahc.umn.edu/bioethics/prod/groups/ahc/@pub/@ahc/documents/asset/ahc_75703.pdf)