Stem Cell Research-Brooke Mastmeier
I. Introduction
Stem cells can be found in multi cellular organisms. They have the ability to restore themselves through the mitotic cell division, which is the process where a eukaryotic cell separates the chromosomes into matching sets of nuclei. The two broadest stem cells are the adult stem cell and the embryonic stem cell. Stem cells can be changed into specialized cells with characteristics constant with cells of a variety of tissue. Stem cell research is potentially used to cure devastating diseases. The treatments patients undergo vary from “hair cloning” to receiving the stem cells through the spinal cord. There has been a controversy with embryonic stem cell because it’s an ethical debate with destroying human embryos. In the year 2010 Obama lifted the ban of stem cell research which continued scientists to explore the possibility of curing diseases.
Figure 1
Mouse embryonic stem cell
Figure 2
Human embryonic stem cell
II. What types of diseases is it used for?
Stem cell research is being used to potentially treat a disease or an injury. The two stem cells that they would use for treatment would either be the adult stem cells or the embryonic stem cells. These two stem cells have different abilities in the type and number of differentiated cell types that they can develop into. The diseases that are listed below can range from life threatening to embarrassing. There are many diseases and injuries that stem cell research is used for such as:
- Brain damage -Cancer -Spinal cord injury -Heart damage
-Haematopoiesis (blood cell formation) -Baldness -Missing teeth
-Deafness and Blindness -ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) -Diabetes
Figure 3
III. Stem Cell Treatments.
Stem are being touted as the best discovery for the treatment of numerous diseases. The treatments for stem cell are a strategy that introduces new cells into the damaged tissue to treat an injury or a disease. Scientists believe these treatments can alter suffering and change the face of disease.
Cancer- Scientists have been injecting adult stem cells in the head of dogs, which they believe can treat cancerous tumors. When they tested rodents that received tumors, they discovered that they were able to decrease the size by 81%.
Heart damage- There has been many tests about adult stem cell therapy for heart damage. Scientists have determined that it is safe and effective. Some mechanisms of recovery are: the generation of heart muscles and stimulation of the growth of new blood vessels to repopulate the damaged tissue.
Baldness- Hair follicles in our head contain stem cells, and some researchers predict that they would be able to come up with “hair cloning.” The treatment is to take other stem cells from follicles and multiplying them in culture.
Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis- On a rodent, they mimicked the disease mediating the movement of the rats. Then they injected the stem cells into the spinal cord, in which the cells migrated to the injury which restored the ablated nerve cells.
IV. The Controversy.
What would you do if you needed embryonic stem cells to cure your child? Over the last couple of years, the embryonic stem cell research has been a controversy. Some people feel it’s unethical and should be illegal. People feel uncomfortable with the idea of research on frozen aborted embryos. The embryonic stem cells have been donated to researchers by people who no longer want to own them. There have been many campaigns who try to stop the research of stem cells. There is potential for a medical breakthrough. The more advances we have in technology will lead to the cures of many incurable diseases. For the research, there are not many guidelines; however the morals regarding the research are strict. Although, the scientists believe the laboratories are not where morals belong.
V. Journal Article Review.
Eve, D. J., Marty, P. J., Mcdermott, R. J., Klasko, S. K., & Sanberg, P. R. (2008). Stem Cell Research and Health Education. American Journal of Health Education, 39(3), 167+. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5028594911
In this journal article they explained the different types of stem cells and the many controversies that come along with the research. This journal article explains how stem cell research may cure or prevent diseases, but that more research needs to be done. Also, that there is a public confusion about the benefits of the embryonic stem cell research. Explained in the article is how stem cells work and why they are useful.
VI. References:
1. Eve, D. J., Marty, P. J., Mcdermott, R. J., Klasko, S. K., & Sanberg, P. R. (2008). Stem Cell Research and Health Education. American Journal of Health Education, 39(3), 167+. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5028594911
- Stem cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell
- Stem cell treatments - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell_treatments
- Embryonic Stem Cell Research – 2010 – January . (n.d.). Embryonic Stem Cell Research . Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://www.embryonicstemcellresearch.org/2010/01
Figure 1 ,2, and 3:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell
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