Stem cells are the foundation of human bodily growth–all humans start off with them. These cells are indifferent from one another and have no specific function, essentially being a “clean slate” for the body. As a human grows and develops, the number of stem cells in the body decreases, as they specialize and turn into the various cells that the body needs to function, ranging from mobility strong muscle cells or neuron cells found in the brain. Stem cells are important in all humans for the repair and regeneration of the body. These cells show promise in cutting edge treatments for various diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or even paralysis.
There are two main types of stem cells:
- Embryonic stem cells are produced from a vitro fertilization procedure out of embryos that are freshly fertilized. These cells are extremely versatile, called “pluripotent”, being able to divide into more stem cells or differentiate into any cell in the body. There are moral and ethical questions about “farming” embryos for stem cells.
- Adult stem cells are found in adult tissues such as bone marrow or fat. Adult stems cells are less researched than embryonic stem cells and scientists believe they do not have the same versatility as embryonic stem cells. However, recent research has shown that adult stem cells have the potential to specialize into different types of cells – not just cells similar to where they came from. ‘
Using these cells, doctors and scientists are able to use the body’s own resources to “regenerate” itself, giving humans the body to repair damaged tissues in the body. A vast portion of medical research is dedicated to stem cells to study its safety and effectiveness in medicine. The stem cells help the body to heal itself in order to lessen the effects of diseases so that the diseases is significantly hindered. For example, β-cells differentiated to secrete insulin can be used to treat diabetes. Injecting stem cells into damaged tissues has a similar effect, such as injecting stem cells into the brain after a stroke to repair it. In its most extreme form (and the form scientists hope to achieve), doctors would be able to use a patient’s own body to repair it.
However, the use of stem cells in medicine is proving to be a daunting task. Stem cells are extremely powerful tools and have the potential to treat many different diseases – but only if doctors can get them to do what they want. Stem cells are undifferentiated and therefore have no function as they are. Doctors need to direct cells to specialize into specific types of cells – like a heart cell to repair heart function or a muscle celll to repair muscle tissue. This can prove difficult as stem cells can grow irregularly or specialize into the wrong type of cell.
Stem cells also may be considered foreign from the body, prompting an immune response. Due to genetic differences between stem cells and the host recipient, the host body may attack the stem cells, neutralizing the effect of the medicine and harming the body overall.
Another controversy is the use of embryonic stem cells. These stem cells come from embryos that have been recently fertilized, raising ethical concerns. Opponents of embryonic stem cells believe that the use and destruction of an embryo is wrong because it is a human being. They believe that these embryos have the same rights as all human beings and should be protected from harm. Supporters of using embryonic stem cells believe that these embryos would have been discarded anyways as they were donated to science. They take the opposite stance that these cells are not humans and provide valuable information for all humans to benefit from.
Luckily, embryonic stem cells may not have to be harvested. Another way of producing a new type of stem cell known as induced pluripotent stem cells has shown promise. These type of cells have the versatility of embryonic stem cells while avoiding the controversy and are able to be harvested from adults. Scientists re-engineer adult stem cells so that they behave like embryonic stem cells. Additionally, since these cells are produced from the recipient, they are more geneetically compatible and have a lower chance of triggering an immune response.
Overall, stem cells are a promising option for the future of medicine. Research has already shown that stem cells show promise in the treatment of various diseases. Scientists are constantly improving and learning about how these cells work, and they have the potential to be one of the greatest ways for doctors to treat patients.
References
(2016, April 6). Stem Cell Research. Healthline. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from
https://www.healthline.com/health/stem-cell-research#federal-regulations
(2022, March 19). Stem cells: What they are and what they do. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November
28, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117
(n.d.). Stem Cell Transplants. TeensHealth. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/stem-cells.html
(n.d.). The Truth About Stem Cell Therapy. Northeast Knee and Joint Institute. Retrieved
November 29, 2022, from https://nkjinstitute.com/the-truth-about-stem-cell-therapy/
(n.d.). What Are Stem Cells? Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. Retrieved November 29, 2022,
from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=what-are-stem-cells-160-38
