Heal Yourself With Stem Cells
August 6, 2008
BACKGROUND: Many experts say stem cells are one the most promising
areas of research for the future of medicine. These cells have two
distinguishing characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells
that can renew themselves through division. Second, under certain
conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special
functions, such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the
insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. There are currently two
types of stem cells used in research: embryonic, or pluripotent, and
adult. Embryonic stem cells can develop into any kind of cell in the
human body. They come from either fetal tissue from miscarriages and
abortions, or embryos created for in-vitro infertility treatment, but
not selected for implantation. Adult stem cells have less ability
than embryonic stem cells to develop into other types of cells and
they are found in bone marrow and a few organs. (Source: The National
Institutes of Health and The American Heart Association)
ETHICAL CONTROVERSY: Because of the origin of embryonic stem cells,
some people are ethically opposed to scientists using them in
research. The "stem cell controversy" that has erupted because of
research involving human embryos has even reached the White House. In
2005, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, in "a shift that infuriated
religious conservatives,
Bush's restrictions on federally-funded embryonic stem cell research.
Despite restricted national funding for stem cell research involving
embryos, local funding is carrying it forward.
STEM CELL RESEARCH AND THERAPY: According to the International
Society for Stem Cell Research, "The development of a range of human
tissue-specific and embryonic stem cell lines will provide
researchers with the tools to model disease, test drugs and develop
increasingly effective therapies." Cell therapy, or replacing
diseased cells with healthy cells, is a promising use of stem cells
in the medical field. Currently, stem cells used for therapy are
those found in bone marrow. The International Society for Stem Cell
Research says these have been used by doctors for more than 40 years
and are now being used to treat blood disorders like leukemia and
lymphoma. Research is also taking place using other types of stem
cells. This research is paving the way for possible future stem cell
treatments for degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease,
stroke, heart disease and muscular dystrophies.
ADULT STEM CELL THERAPY: Some research shows that adult stem cells
can be used to strengthen damaged organs like hearts and livers.
Experimental treatments are being conducted to treat women with
stress incontinence by strengthening the urethra with stem cells. The
cells are used to treat patients with heart failure and peripheral
vascular disease by strengthening muscles and stimulating blood flow.
An important benefit of treatment with stem cells from your own body
is that it drastically reduces the likelihood of rejection and other
complications. "So far, we haven't seen any deleterious effects, and
this makes sense considering these are the patient's own cells,"
Emerson Perin, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the Stem Cell Center
at the Texas Heart Institute, told Ivanhoe.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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