Stem Trend By:Katelin & Haley

Understanding Stem Cells Undifferentiated cells that can be used to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissue, cells, or organs in the body. How it works: stem cells actively divide and produce new blood cells, then stimulate regeneration of new blood parts in the bone marrow.

Types of Stem Cells Embryonic: pluripotent cells that are a result of fertilization, the embryo is destroyed when the stem cell is cultivated. Stem cells are derived from the umbilical cord and the newly developed fetus Adult (Somatic Body) Stem Cell: undifferentiated cells found throughout body in brain tissue, liver, organs, and bone marrow. They multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues.

How Stem Cells are Created Stem cells are extracted from adult tissue or from a dividing zygote in a culture dish. Then placed in a controlled culture This prohibits them from further specializing or differentiating but usually allows them to divide and replicate. The process of growing large numbers of embryonic stem cells has been easier than growing large numbers of adult stem cells, but progress is being made for both cell type

Steps of Use 1) patients are examined and receive induction therapy 2) patients stem cells are frozen and stored 3) high does of chemo are given to eliminate as much disease as possible 4) the thawed stem cells are injected into the patients bloodstream, the stem cells travel to bone marrow and produce the new blood cells

History of Stem Cells In 1968, the first bone marrow transplant was performed to successfully 1978: Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood 1981: First in vitro stem cell line developed from mice 1988: Embryonic stem cell lines created from a hamster 1995: First embryonic stem cell line derived from a primate 1997: Cloned lamb from stem cells 1997: Leukaemia origin found as haematopoietic stem cell, indicating possible proof of cancer stem cells In 1998, the University of Wisconsin, isolated cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos and developed the first embryonic stem cell lines. 1999 and 2000, scientists discovered that manipulating adult mouse tissues could produce different cell types

Current Uses Peripheral blood stem cells are used like bone marrow to treat leukemia Umbilical cord blood stem cells are used to treat bone marrow problems since the umbilical cord is loaded with well developed immune cells Embryonic stem cells can develop into heart muscle cells and help the heart repair itself stem cells taken from an area of the eye called the limbus can be used to repair damage to the cornea

Pros and Cons Pros:- Parkinson’s Disease -Alzheimer’s Disease -Heart Diseases, Stroke and Diabetes -Birth Defects -Spinal Cord Injuries -Replace or Repair Damaged Organs - embryonic cells can be maintained and grown for 1 year or more in culture Cons: -ASC have a small number in each tissue, which them difficult to find and purify -Use of embryonic stem cells for reasearch involves the destruction of blastocysts formed from laboratory-fertilized human eggs.

Bioethical Considerations To acquire the inner cell mass of embryonic cells the embryo is destroyed Risk to female donors being consented The use of adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells have generally been considered to be free of any particular ethical issues

Case Study Laura Dominguez is an example of a case study done with adult stem cells. She was told that she would never walk again after being in a car crash. She was just 16 years old in 2001 when it occurred. The crash caused her to be completely paralyzed from the neck down. Surgeons called the damage in her spinal cord a C6 vertebrae fracture. She underwent extensive physical therapy after the accident. After inclusive research with medical experts that studied spinal cord injuries, she decided to try a new surgical procedure using stem cells. The surgery involved removing tissue from the olfactory sinus area and transplanting it into the spinal cord where it was damaged. Laura as the 10th person in the world to have this procedure done at the time. Once she began to heal from the surgery, so did her spinal cord. About 70% of the injury healed to look like normal spinal cord tissue. She began to feel upper parts of her body again and six months after the surgery, she regained feeling down to her abdomen.