Stem Cell - Using stem cells from Testes to produce Insulin for Type 1 Diabetics - Research Paper Example

There are conventional treatments available but they do not cure the disease. Now, scientists have given some hopes to the disease stricken patients with a new type of treatment with the stem cells. Stem cells are found in different tissues. They develop and divide into many other types of cells especially in the early age. The self-reproductive stem cells serve to repair damage tissues. When a stem cell divides, it might remain the same type or becomes a specialized cell e.g. a brain cell. Until 2006, Scientists were mostly working with “embryonic stem cells” and “Somatic or Adult stem cell”.

Now they have learned to alter special cells genetically and use them for special purposes as a stem cell. The regenerative property of a stem cell opens new venues to explore and may find permanent cure for diseases like diabetes. Recent research at Georgetown University shows that stem cells from human testicles, which produce sperms, can be genetically programmed to produce insulin by transplanting into the human body. Clinical experiments indicate a lower amount of insulin produced by this method and researchers are pondering to find a way to bring it to a required level.

Just like any other transplant, if the organ is donated by someone else, body takes it as a foreign intruder in the system. The immune system immediately tries to stop it from proper functioning. To reverse the process, a patient has to take immune-suppress medication for the rest of the life. In an effort to offer resistance to the newly implanted cell, immune system destroys the original beta cells. Since cells that are being transplanted, are extracted from the same person so the body does not perceive them as foreign agents.

After removing cells from testes, also called spermatogonial cells, placed in a specially designed media where they are chemically changed to produce insulin like beta cells. In other research programs, Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), artificially derived from Adult cells and changed by inducing forced genes and proteins to act similar to embryonic stem cells. Thr artificial method to program IPSCs, pose serious threats to introduce cancerous tissues in the body. But the new research in 2008 indicates the possibilities of stem cells in curing diseases.

Scientists have disclosed a technique to separate the oncogene, largely cause cancer, from pluripotent cells after their transplantation. A new approach, yet to test on humans, of generating IPSCs cells by injecting proteins might be suitable for therapeutic use. Adopting this new technique eradicate the need of genetic alteration. The ongoing research at Georgetown University focuses on finding a treatment for type-1 diabetes in which cells are persuaded to function like IPSCs. The threat of tumor ‘teratomas’, may destroy the newly formed insulin cells.

Another concern is the elimination of alpha cells which produces ‘glucagon’ with the beata cells. Glucagon becomes active when the sugar level drops to a certain level and may cause death. In order to find a commplete remedy from Type-1 diabetes, researchers are looking towards a readily available source of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). SSCs are derived from testicles and not required to add new genes. These cells show similar characteristics to that of beta islet cells. The scientists successful in lowering the glucose level after planting these cells into diabetic mice, showing that enough insulin is