1. Stem Cells

2. Objectives What are stem cells?
What are the different types and where do they come from?
What are the potential new medical treatments using stem cells?
What research is needed to make such treatments a reality?

3. What are stem cells?
Remarkable potential to develop into different cell types
As each new cell divides it has potential to remain a stem cell or another specialized cell like muscle, RBC or brain cell.
May serve as an internal repair system: Divide without limit

4. Different from other cell types
They are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves thru cell division
They can be induced to become tissue or organ-specific with special fxns

5. Types of Stem Cells Embryonic stem cells Somatic or adult stem cells
2006, induced pluripotent stem cells

6. Embryonic stem cells Pluripotent: capacity to become ANY cell
Grow easy in culture
Large numbers are easily harvested

7. IPSCs First human cells introduced in lab in 2007
Genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell like state by being forced to express genes
Demonstrate the ability to be pluripotent

8. Adult Stem Cells
Found in brain, bone marrow, blood, skeletal muscle, skin, heart, liver, ovaries and testis
Once removed from body, Capacity to divide is limited
Trying to figure out how to regenerate in large quantities to use
Rare in mature tissue
Not supported yet, but less likely to be rejected

10. Why do we have stem cells?
Blastocyst : inner cells give rise to entire body
Bone marrow: generate replacements for cells that are lost thru injury, disease or normal wear and tear.

11. What is the potential new medical treatments using stem cells?
Offer potentials for treating diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's

13. Screen new drugs
Develop model systems to study normal growth and id causes of birth defects.

14. A new treatment strategy that specifically targets cancer stem cells, when combined with current treatments, may lead to a more complete and durable regression of malignant cancers.

16. Continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells

17. What research is needed to make such treatments a reality?
Number and type of adult stem cells that exist. What tissues contain
How they evolve during development
How do stem cells remain in undifferentiated state, but other cells around them are differentiated?
Donor specificity
Factors that stimulate stem cells to relocate to sites of injury?

18. If you had in vitro fertilization perform and as a result have frozen embryos remaining, what would you do with them?
Why?
What do you need to know to help you make an informed decision?
Support your argument with details from the article, “Frozen Dreams”, What you have learned in class and outside research you have done on stem cells.