Types of Stem Cells - Research Paper Example

Abstract Stem cells and the entire area of research have been a problem for most people to comprehend. Most people believe that it is a means to do amazing work, especially in the field of science, but others believe that it is going against the laws of nature. Regardless of one’s beliefs, stem cell research is here to stay. It is the participation of various intellects that has brought about changes to the medical field by allowing the growth and development of this area in medicine. Stem cell therapy has helped to prolong the lives of countless individuals who were once thought of being beyond recovery. It has also given hope to countless others as scientists and medical practitioners continue their quest to satisfy the need to find new and better ways to improve the lives of people through stem cell therapy (Bongso & Lee, 2011). All this is working toward giving society a chance to fight some of the diseases that affect people in modern times. Stem Cell Research Paper As the world embraces and adapts to the changing technological environment, researchers in the medical field are taking complete advantage of the situation. There have been breakthroughs in different fields that have allowed people to accept the likelihood that almost anything is possible. This is even true for cloning, which despite being a highly contentious issue, was made possible. There have been areas where research has led to different advancements that have allowed people to survive different medical conditions, and one such area is stem cell research. Stem cells, as a renewable supply of tissue in the human body, have allowed the creation of specialized cells in different areas where the human body might need new cells (Bongso & Lee, 2011). This is because they can be manipulated into becoming different types of cells, thus; creating an avenue for the creation of new cells in areas that might have dead or malignant cells. This paper will examine the types of stem cells present, and a disease that might have a prognosis with stem cell therapy. Stem cells are used in stem cell therapy in a bid to treat certain medical conditions. Some sources indicate that the heart, brain, and muscle are all sources of stem cells, but the most well-known source is the bone marrow. Bone marrow therapy is the most commonly used type of therapy, which has been used in the treatment of cancer in its various forms. Lymphoma and leukemia are just examples of conditions where the bone marrow has been used to provide stem cells that might help in regeneration of different cells. During the various treatment processes, for example; chemotherapy, there is the loss of cells by cytotoxic agents. Stem cell therapy attempts or aims to reduce this counter-productive event by ensuring that this process is reversed. Moreover, this form of therapy may create an immune response that may aid in the annihilation of cancerous cells (Bongso & Lee, 2011). Types of stem cells Stem cells can only be distinguished or differentiated by their potency and ability for self-renewal. What this means is that, the cells’ capabilities to differentiate into specialized kinds of cells and their ability to stay the same during the stages of cell division create the difference between most stem cells. The two main types of stem cells are embryonic and adult stem cells. The embryonic stem cells originate from an embryo’s blastocysts. This ES cells are technical and may involve the use of specific signals to make or turn cells into a specified type. Adult cells, on the other hand, do not involve the use of embryo blastocysts. They are also less technical in the sense that they do not cause immune rejection when it comes to transferring them into an affected area. Treatments through adult stem cells have been successful in the past as it is evident from the countless treatable cancer conditions, for example; leukemia and lymphoma (Kondo, 2009). Regardless of the controversial nature surrounding ES cells, they have a much higher potential to treat some of the various diseases present. This is due to their ability to become specialized depending on how they might be altered. The growing of ES cells in the labs has led to different specialization techniques that alter or lead to the specification of each cell depending on where it is meant to be replaced. ES cells have the capacity to generate all forms of major cells in the human body, making these cells pluripotent. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are limited in their ability to generate into all forms of cells. This makes them multipotent, thus; making their capacity to treat various diseases somewhat lower or limited. It is said that during the development of adult stem cells, their commitment to certain body tissue is what allows them to materialize into some degree of cell types (Kondo, 2009). There is also the least known type of stem cell identified as the induced pluripotent stem cells. Countless individuals may not be familiar with these stem cells, but they are crucial in the development of different medicines/drugs, and also the replication of different diseases. They are somatic cells, which can been genetically engineered into an embryonic state in a bid to maintain or mimic the various aspects of an embryo and its stem cells (Turksend, 2012). There is need for further research into iPSCs and their different uses, which may allow for the development and production of various treatments. Disease that has a prognosis with stem cell therapy Looking back at the past, it is not hard to forget that leukemia presented a challenge to the medical professionals and the medical field. Fortunately, with the changing trends, especially in technology, leukemia is quickly becoming a problem of the past. The transplanting of bone marrow into a sick or diseased individual was just the starting point in the build-up to the eradication of leukemia among cancerous individuals and society as a whole. The transplanting of cells has allowed the regeneration of new cells into a diseased body, the creation of blood-building agents, and the construction of a healthy blood-producing system. The only problem with this treatment is that the cells come from a foreign/different body. The host can, therefore, respond negatively to (reject) the foreign anti-bodies present in their blood stream (Clarke, Howard & Rossor, 2011). The most affected areas include the intestine, the kidney, and even liver are the most affected, which then leads to other problems. Fortunately, medical professionals are now combining the use of chemotherapy to combat the adverse effects of transplantation. Chemotherapy works on destroying a diseased person’s whole blood-building structure in order to create some sort of space for the new and healthier cells. Once this happens, there are few cancerous cells that remain, and once the healthy ones come in, they strive to fight against the cancerous cells present. This has been the main problem for leukemia patients for a while and that is why research in graft-versus-host disease is taking precedence over all else in this field. The introduction of a healthy bone marrow into a once diseased body creates an avenue for the production and development of newer and healthier cells, giving an individual the chance to have a healthy body system (Clarke, Howard & Rossor, 2011). In conclusion, stem cell research may receive criticism and undue castigation from different quarters, but there is no disputing the fact that stem cell research and therapy has allowed individuals to prolong their lives. Cancer may soon be a thing of the past, and the future holds promise for other diseases, for example; Parkinson’s disease, heart problems, brain and spinal cord injury, and even neurodegeneration (Clarke, Howard & Rossor, 2011). Different methods will come up to allow researchers to use technology to fully capitalize on the use of cells to develop healthier cells for diseased individuals, paving the way for a stronger and healthier society. References Bongso, A., & Lee, E. H. (2011). Stem cells: From bench to bedside. New York: Macmillan Publishers. Clarke, C., Howard, R., & Rossor, M. (2011). Neurology: A queen square textbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Kondo, M. (2009). Hematopoietic stem cell biology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Turksend, K. (2012). Adult and embryonic stem cells. New York: American Printing Press. Read More