Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has been the topic for much debate in the recent years. Some people feel that this research is ground breaking and could save many lives in the future. While others feel that it is not something that we should pursue further, because it could be potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. Whenever you here of stem cell research what do you automatically think of? Cloning. Although cloning is not the only application for stem cell research it is associated with that research the most. Before you make your own judgments about the issue of stem cell research you should know the basic facts about it first.

Stem cells are cells in the body that have the potential to develop into almost any different cell in the body. They are able to divide and replace other damaged cells infinitely for as long as the organism is alive. They act as the body's repair system by replacing the damaged, old cells. Also anytime that the stem cell divides the new stem cells have the option of staying a stem cell or becoming a different cell. This is very helpful, stem cells can replace brain cells, blood cells, and even muscle cells if needed. As you can see researching these cells can come in handy when we need to make new cells or even organs to save lives.

Stem cell research is an area of much interest by scientists, but many new questions are being brought up as new research is found. Research is being done on these cells to figure out how organisms become from one cell, and how the body replaces old cells in adult life. Scientists hope to be able to harness the concept of stem cells and be able to replicate their actions. They are hoping to be able to produce cell-based therapies to treat disease. These therapies are known as regenerative or repairative medicines. If these therapies are discovered and proven advances in treating disease would be astronomical.

There is a difference in the types of stem cells being researched and what each type can be used for. The two types that are under research are embryonic stem cells and "adult" stem cells. Adult stem cells are cells that are in adult organisms that are used for replacing and repairing the old cells . Embryonic stem cells are the cells that start out as a single cell and replicate to produce a whole organism. Each type of stem cells have different properties and applications for modern health care. Understanding each type of stem cell will allow for the development of new unique treatments and ways for curing diseases.

Embryonic Stem Cells

This type of stem cell comes obviously from embryos. Many people think that these embryos are fertilized while in the womb of a women, but this is not true. The embryos that are used for research are fertilized in a lab and are not taken from a woman. Donors that donate their eggs for experimental use do not have them fertilized in their body as many think. Egg and sperm donors donate their eggs and sperm separately and then they are used in test tube type fertilization to produce embryonic stem cells. Media and imagination tends to make it seem like these stem cells are being taken from pregnant woman when really they are not.

To grow this type of stem cell the labs use a cell culture. This culture uses mouse embryonic skin cells that have been treated so that they do not divide as a feeder layer for the human embryonic stem cells. These cultures are observed and used for experimentation. These culture dishes contain constantly dividing and expanding stem cells and can be used to make more culture dishes. Subculturing is used to make more cultures of stem cells once a culture becomes crowded with stem cells. These cultures can then be frozen and kept for later use.

There are many different types of uses and experiments done with the cultures of embryonic stem cells. They test to see how long the stem cells can keep replicating and dividing to find the life of stem cells. They test for a specific protein found in undifferentiable cells called Oct-4. The presence of this protein ensures that the cell is undifferentiable and can take the form of any other cell needed. They also check the chromosomes of the cells and determine whether they are damaged or not. Each one of these tests are done to find out whether or not we can duplicate and/or use stem cells to make cells that we need.

Adult Stem Cells

Adult stem cells are found in adult organisms while in the presence of specialised cells in the body. These cells are undifferentiated which means that they are not specialised or differentiated like the cells they are around. The adult stem cells can still divide and take on the form of any differentiated cell. Their main function in an adult organism is to repair and replace the old cells of the body. The origin of these cells in an adult organism is unknown unlike that of the embryonic stem cells. These stem cells are very fascinating and mysterious much is unkown about them, although much research has been found on them recently.

Around 40 years ago adult stem cell research began. The first adult stem cells were found in the bone marrow where at least two types reside. The two types of adult stem cells in the body are hematopoietic stem cells and stromal stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells can form any cell that is found in the blood. Stromal stem cells take on the identity of bone, cartilage, fat, and connective tissue. Each group is very specialised in the type of cells that they repair and replace.

Lately many new discoveries about adult stem cells have been made. Scientists have found these stem cells in many different place through out the body that has brought about much hype. They think that because these are found in so many places transplants can be done to fix damaged cells. For almost 30 years adult blood marrow stem cells have been used in transplants. Some adult stem cells are able to differentiate better than others. They hope to be able to find a way that they can use all adult stem cells for different types of transplants that are needed.

There are many different tests that adult stem cells are used for, and not every lab uses the same tests. Some labs may test based on different criteria to determine an adult stem cell or distinguish how it replicates. They may label the cells in humans and try to determine the types of cells that they replace. Sometimes they take adult stem cells from a living organism and try to transplant them in another organism to see whether they survive in the body of another. They also plant them in a culture and try to grow different types of cells from that culture. Each method is used basically to push the limits of how stem cells can be used and whether or not new transplants can be used on humans.

I feel that stem cell research is a very interesting new technology. I always remember a story about scientists growing an ear on a mouse whenever I think about stem cells. It would be very beneficial to society if organs could be grown and transplanted from stem cells. The long wait list for organs would greatly decrease and many people would be given the chance to lead a normal life. Also then we would not have a need for live organ donors and people would be able to keep their own precious organs. :) All in all I think that this is a worthwhile field for further research.