STEM CELLS

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Stem cells are the progenitors of many different cell types. They have the ability to differentiate into specific cell types for example, stem cells in bone marrow, can differentiate into red and white blood cells.
Types of stem cells
Embryonic stem cells
These pluripotent cells can become almost any type of cell in the body, obtained by extracting cells from very early stage of embryo these are considered as most valuable type of stem cells.
Adult stem cells
Numerous multipotent adult stem cells exist in the body. Each type of adult stem cells has the ability to develop into cells of specific type of tissue such as blood, epidermis, nerve cells and so on. [1]
Stem cells can cultured as cell lines that are continuously grown in sterile dishes in laboratory for their use in transplant of defective cells. Stem cells can be cultured unlimited it has no limited supply as in the case of organ transplant which require the organ donor.
Sources of stem cells:
  • Bone marrow 
  •  Peripheral blood 
  •   Umbilical cord blood
Bone marrow transplant is the most traditional and common type of transplant. This method is used to treat leukemia, cancer of white blood cells; the source of white blood cell is bone marrow. Bone marrow stem cells can become white blood cells and are then released into blood stream. [2]
Stem cell therapy
The overall goal of stem cell therapy is the repair of damaged, dysfunctional, injured tissue using stem cells. Parkinson’s disease is an example, in which brain cells that produce dopamine start to die. Although the level of dopamine can be increased by treating the patient with drug but the diseases is progressive and cannot be cured. One possible treatment would be to transplant stem cells that begin to produce dopamine (chemical messenger that help control muscles movements).
Uses of stem cells:
Stem cells and drug development:
The high cost and uncertain outcomes of developing new drugs have taken a toll to research in past years. Some industries can take the hit of investing hundred and thousands of dollars in testing and research just to observe the adverse side effect come out during the last stages of human clinical trials.
Now using the stem cells generated from human pluripotent cell lines, which have the ability to develop into any type of cell or tissue, some new drugs are being tested for their safety and efficacy. Stem cells provide the more consistent basis for testing.
Heart muscles and liver cells are currently available for the drug testing, as these are the organ where 80% drug failure occurs.
Organizations such as Sweden’s Takara Bio Europe AB, produces heart muscles cells and liver cells for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. [3]
Produce healthy cells to replace defective cells: (regenerative medicines)
Stem cells can be cultured in laboratory to develop into specific cell or tissues that can be used to repair or regenerate damaged or diseased tissue in patient.
Patient suffer from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, type 1 diabetes, stroke, burns, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and osteoarthritis, might get benefit from stem cells therapy.
Stem cells have the ability to develop into new tissue for their use in transplant and regenerative medicines. Scientists are continuously performing experiments for their use in transplant and regenerative medicine.
Better understanding of diseases development:
Scientist and doctors may better understand how diseases occur by investing the maturation of stem cells in heart muscles, nerves cells, bones and other tissues and organ. [4]
Therapeutic cloning and embryonic stem cells
Manipulating a person’s existing stem cells to be used therapeutically is one way to treat a disease. To produce embryonic stem cell, therapeutic cloning (rather than reproductive cloning) is another method that has much potential. The method of cloning can be use to obtain embryonic stem. The application of cloning has great medical potential and is referred to as Somatic cell nuclear transfer. In SCNT the nucleus from an adult donor cell is transferred to a recipient egg cell whose nucleus has been removed. The cell is stimulated to begin dividing and the transferred nucleus directs the development of the resulting embryo. These cells are not implanted in a female: rather they are kept in culture and continuously divide; creating a cell line that is genetically identical to the adult donor cell. Stem cells can be collected after five to six days of nuclear transfer.

REFRENCES
  1. https://www.nature.com/articles/stemcells.2007.14
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4104807/
  3. https://nordiclifescience.org/stem-cells-drug-development/
  4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117

 By: Aisha Mehak

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