STEM CELLS
Stem
Cells and its potential uses in Clinical Therapy
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Stem cells
are very special cells with the ability to develop into various
types of cells in the human body in their early life and its growth. For many
tissues these stem cells can become the internal repair mechanism,
splitting with no limits to replenish other cells if the living organism ( human
or animal )
is still alive.
Each stem cell that divides has the potential of being a stem cell
or turning itself into another type of cell with a more specific purpose, such
as a red blood cell, brain cell or muscle cell. |
Two very important characteristics separate
stem cells from other types of cells. One is the ability to renew themselves
through cell division, even after extended periods of inactivity. The other is
the capacity ( through experimental or physiologic conditions ) to be induced to
become organ-specific cells or tissue with very special functions.
Some human organs such as the bone marrow have
stem cells that divide themselves to repair damaged or worn out tissue. Other
organs require more effort to achieve this and it only happens under certain
special conditions ( the heart and pancreas ). Stem cells are a natural
occurrence in most organisms, and its mitotic cell division properties makes
them ideal for the purposes of replenishing other cells or tissue lost due to
various diseases that affect the body. Research in the stem cells area was
sparked by the findings of Canadian Dr. Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till in
the 1960s. Earlier in the 1950`s, scientists found that the bone marrow has two
types of stem cells, the hematopoietic ( the one that handles all the blood
cells in the body ) and the bone marrow stromal stem cells (mesenchymal stem
cells).
Types of Stem Cells
Nowadays, stem cells
can be grown and turned into more specialized cells with very consistent
characteristics with muscles or nerves cells. Adult stem cells from umbilical
cord blood and bone marrow are already being used for medical treatment of
various diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney disease, heart
disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease,
arthritis, Psoriasis among others. Specialized
stem cells
clinic
treatment can be already obtained in
places such as the Dominican Republic ( Regenobody ). Not all stem cells from a
human body are suitable for clinical applications.
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Muscle Stem Cells |
Neural Stem Cells |
Blastocyst
Stem Cell |
Embryonic Stem Cells |
Stem cell regeneration offers new potential to
patients, and the research is ongoing to learn more about the usage of these
cells in clinical treatment. Reparative medicine through the use of stem cells
is still an issue in the United States, where current legislation has forced
many patients to travel to outside countries such as the Dominican Republic,
where Regenobody stem cells clinic offers treatment.
Haematopoietic stem cells:
type of stem cell primarily found in the bone marrow, the ones that give rise to
all blood-related cell types in the human body.
Mesenchymal stem cells:
of stromal origin, these types of cell can differentiate into various types of
tissues. Scientists have been able to isolate MSCs from adipose tissue, bone
marrow, blood, umbilical cord, teeth, lung and other sources, this is why MSCs
have become very effective and attractive for medical therapy. These MSCs can
generate cartilage, bone, fat, cells that support the formation of blood and
connective tissue.
Neural stem cells:
First discovered back in 1967, neural stem cells gave rise to the discovery of
neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the human brain after adulthood.
The unique
properties of stem cells
Stem cells are
different from other kinds of cells, and all stem cells ( no matter their source
) have three main abilities: they are divisible and self-renewing even after
long periods of time; they are unspecialized cells and they can give rise to
specific, specialized human body cell types.
Adult stem cells
are undifferentiated cells, from an organ ( or tissue ) that can repair ( renew
) itself and can produce other cell types- major unspecialized ones-that
regenerate the cells needed to repair those organs or tissues. Adult stem cells
are also called Somatic stem cell,
because it refers to cells from the body ( not from sperm or and egg ).
Treatment examples include the regeneration of bone by the usage of cells from
the bone marrow stroma, generating insulin-producing cells for diabetes, and
repairing damaged muscles in the heart after a heart attack ( with heart muscle
cells ).
Stem Cell Transplant
It is known that
most stem cells are in the bone marrow, also in the blood that flows from the
bone marrow. These stem cells become red blood cells, white blood cells or
platelets that keep your body in good condition. If a disease attacks your body,
hindering its ability to create blood cells, a stem cells transplant can replace
and regenerate the cells; this will make your body healthier through clinical
stem cell treatment. If the cells come from your own bone marrow or your blood,
it is called autologous. A transplant is usually required for cancer patients
after radiation doses damage the cells, urging the need for a regeneration
therapy to take place.
Potential uses of stem
cells treatment
Autologous stem cell transplants
Autologous stem cells
transplants are the ones performed with cells collected from the same person
that is receiving the transplant.
Allogeneic stem cell transplants
Allogeneic stem
cell transplants are the ones in which the cells are taken from a person and
transplated to another. These cells come from a donor instead of the same
patient ( as in Autologous stem cells ). The main issue with allogeneic stem
cells is that the donor's cells must match the patient's tissue type. In many
cases, the donor is a relative of the patient, such as a brother or parent.
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant
Even though most stem cells live in the bone
marrow, a number of them reside in the bloodstream. Called PBSCs ( for
multipotent peripheral blood stem cells ) , these cells are used to treat
diseases such as leukemia and cancer. Taken from human blood, these stem cells
are far easier to collect because the process is less invasive than other means
( such as bone marrow stem cells ). Since there are less stem cells
available in the bloodstream, it is a bigger challenge to get enough for a
transplant.
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