What stem cells are:
Stem cells are amazing in that they have the ability to develop into numerous types of cells in the body and divide infinitely to replenish a lack of cells or replace damaged ones as long as the person or animal is alive. When this kind of cell divides, it either has the option of remaining a stem cell or becoming another type of cell with a specialized function such as a muscle cell, red blood cell, or brain cell.
Classes:
There are three categories:
- Totipotent – These cells are those in a fertilized egg and have total potential for growth and development of any kind of cell the body will need.
- Multipotent – Some cells only have a limited potential, meaning they can develop into a smaller number of cell types.
- Pluripotent – These cells can develop into any kind of cell other than those needed to develop a fetus.
Embryonic cells are said to be the most useful because they are pluripotent, while adult cells are generally multipotent.
Why they are needed:
Diseases within the body like cancer and birth defects generally occur when something goes wrong during the process of dividing. Researchers are continually studying them and their function to better understand and perhaps someday prevent diseases and complications from occurring. Growth of human embryonic cells is now especially being researched to increase the potential for curing diseases and developing better therapies for all kinds of conditions. While scientists and doctors believe the cure of diseases is in the future, development of these cures with the use of grown or donated cultures is still in the early stages.
Donating:
In the meantime, donations of organs and tissues help to replace damaged or diseased cells. Healthy pluripotent cells (cells that can divide and develop into many different kinds of functioning cells) increase the potential for possible renewal of replacement cells and tissues that would treat such diseases and conditions as Parkison’s and Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns of different degrees, heart diseases, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, the need for donated organs and tissues far outweigh the availability of them.
Where they are found:
Most commonly, stem cells used for treating human diseases are extracted from human bone marrow. However, over the past few years, research in umbilical cord blood has shown a significantly large amount of these types of cells in blood as well. Donations of umbilical cord blood are risk and pain free for the babies and mothers since the cord blood is collected after the birth of the baby and would otherwise be discarded. Bone marrow transplants are more dangerous because they involve surgery, but because cells must match the patient, it is oftentimes easier to find one within a person’s family. Yet, there are still many thousands of people who continue to suffer and die because they are not able to find a match in time.
By Monica Drusch