Stem cells the opportunities and challenges ahead
STEM CELLS: THE OPPORTUNITIES
AND CHALLENGES AHEAD
-by Krishanu Choudhury.
In this era where Diabetes and high blood pressure are very prevalent and has become a core problem of increased cardiac myopathies, renal failure as well as other complicated disorders which has left people losing their lives to such a disorder which is nothing but a “lifestyle disorder”. This has led to increase in demand in organ transplantations which doesn’t occur easily as there is crisis of organs.
Now, the idea of a miracle cure and bodies healing themselves holds a
particular fascination. Stem cell research brings regenerative medicine a step closer, but many of the ideas and concepts remain controversial.
Stem cells sound interesting but what is basically a stem cell?
Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop into many different types of cell. Stem cells can also renew themselves by dividing, even after they have been inactive for a long time. The human body requires many different types of cell to function, but it does not produce each cell type fully formed and ready to use. Instead, it produces stem cells that have a wide range of possible functions. However stem cells need to become a specific cell type to be useful.
Scientists call a stem cell an undifferentiated cell because it can become any cell.Now let’s talk about stem cells in therapy which can save many lives and can take medical science to another level. Stem cells may provide the key to regenerative medicine, in which the body heals itself. In some tissues, stem cells play an essential role in regeneration. Scientists believe that knowing how stem cell work may lead to possible treatments for disorders, such as diabetes and cardiac myopathies. For instance, if someone’s heart contains damaged tissue , biomedical scientists might be able to stimulate healthy tissue to grow
by transplanting laboratory-grown stem cells into the person’s heart.
This could trigger the heart tissue to renew itself.
Researchers on a small-scale study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research tested this method. This results showed a 40 percent reduction of the size of scarred heart tissue caused by heart attacks. However this small study involved only 11 participants. This makes it difficult to tell whether the improvement in heart function resulted from the transplantation of stem cells.
Another investigation, published in Nature Communications in 2016, has
suggested that stem cell therapies could be the basis of personalized diabetes treatment. In mice and other laboratory-grown cultures, researchers successfully produced insulin secreting cells from stem cells derived from the skin of people with type1 diabetes.
Though many clinical trials have been performed globally, the future of stem cells are to be seen as opportunities and challenges for Regenerative medicine.
Stem cells could have vast potential in developing new
therapies.
AND CHALLENGES AHEAD
-by Krishanu Choudhury.
In this era where Diabetes and high blood pressure are very prevalent and has become a core problem of increased cardiac myopathies, renal failure as well as other complicated disorders which has left people losing their lives to such a disorder which is nothing but a “lifestyle disorder”. This has led to increase in demand in organ transplantations which doesn’t occur easily as there is crisis of organs.
Now, the idea of a miracle cure and bodies healing themselves holds a
particular fascination. Stem cell research brings regenerative medicine a step closer, but many of the ideas and concepts remain controversial.
Stem cells sound interesting but what is basically a stem cell?
Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop into many different types of cell. Stem cells can also renew themselves by dividing, even after they have been inactive for a long time. The human body requires many different types of cell to function, but it does not produce each cell type fully formed and ready to use. Instead, it produces stem cells that have a wide range of possible functions. However stem cells need to become a specific cell type to be useful.
Scientists call a stem cell an undifferentiated cell because it can become any cell.Now let’s talk about stem cells in therapy which can save many lives and can take medical science to another level. Stem cells may provide the key to regenerative medicine, in which the body heals itself. In some tissues, stem cells play an essential role in regeneration. Scientists believe that knowing how stem cell work may lead to possible treatments for disorders, such as diabetes and cardiac myopathies. For instance, if someone’s heart contains damaged tissue , biomedical scientists might be able to stimulate healthy tissue to grow
by transplanting laboratory-grown stem cells into the person’s heart.
This could trigger the heart tissue to renew itself.
Researchers on a small-scale study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research tested this method. This results showed a 40 percent reduction of the size of scarred heart tissue caused by heart attacks. However this small study involved only 11 participants. This makes it difficult to tell whether the improvement in heart function resulted from the transplantation of stem cells.
Another investigation, published in Nature Communications in 2016, has
suggested that stem cell therapies could be the basis of personalized diabetes treatment. In mice and other laboratory-grown cultures, researchers successfully produced insulin secreting cells from stem cells derived from the skin of people with type1 diabetes.
Though many clinical trials have been performed globally, the future of stem cells are to be seen as opportunities and challenges for Regenerative medicine.
Stem cells could have vast potential in developing new
therapies.
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ReplyDeleteIf we extract stem cells from the tropohoblast of a developing embryo then up-to how many weeks or years we can preserve it to reuse it again?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to make human clone from stem cells as its pluripotent in nature?