What are stem cells and how can they be used?
The detailed study of the biology of mouse stem cells led to the discovery, in 1998, of a method to derive stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory. These cells are called human embryonic stem cells. The embryos used in these studies were created for reproductive purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures.
What are the potential uses of human stem cells?
Jan 30, 2014 · Life 30 January 2014 By Andy Coghlan Stem cells are the cellular putty from which all tissues of the body are made. Ever since human embryonic stem cells were first grown in the lab, researchers...
What happens when stem cells get damaged?
Mar 16, 2015 · In their pioneering work in mice in the 1960s, they discovered the blood-forming stem cell, the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) [2, 3]. By definition, a stem cell must be capable of both self-renewal (undergoing cell division to make more stem cells) and differentiation into mature cell types.
What cell is created when a sperm enters an egg?
Feb 26, 2019 · These were the first dental stem cells isolated from the human dental pulp, which were located inside dental pulp (Table ... Further development and versatility of stem cells may cause reduction of treatment costs for people suffering from currently incurable diseases. When facing certain organ failure, instead of undergoing extraordinarily ...
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are the cellular putty from which all tissues of the body are made. Ever since human embryonic stem cells were first grown in the lab, researchers have dreamed of using them to repair damaged tissue or create new organs, but such medical uses have also attracted controversy. Yesterday, the potential of stem cells to revolutionise ...
Who is the scientist who isolated human embryonic stem cells?
James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, respectively, isolate human embryonic stem cells and grow them in the lab.
When did Obama lift the restrictions on stem cell research?
President Barack Obama lifts 2001 restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. A person with spinal injury becomes the first to receive a medical treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells as part of a trial by Geron of Menlo Park, California, a pioneering company for human embryonic stem cell therapies.
What is the promise of embryonic stem cells?
Human embryonic stem cells show medical promise in a treatment that eases blindness. Yamanaka wins a Nobel prize for creating induced pluripotent stem cells, which he shares with John Gurdon of the University of Cambridge.
Who discovered that cells can be rewound to a pre-embryonic state?
Charles Vacanti of Harvard Medical School together with Haruko Obokata at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, and colleagues announced a revolutionary discovery that any cell can potentially be rewound to a pre-embryonic state – using a simple, 30-minute technique.
Who discovered stem cells?
Even though it is hard to pinpoint exactly when or by whom what we now call “stem cells” were first discovered, the consensus is that the first scientists to rigorously define the key properties of a stem cell were Ernest McCulloch and James Till. In their pioneering work in mice in the 1960s, they discovered the blood-forming stem cell, ...
When were ES cells first identified?
Martin Evans (Nobel Prize, 2007) and Matt Kauffman were the first to identify, isolate and successfully culture ES cells using mouse blastocysts in 1981 []. This discovery opened the doors to the creation of “murine genetic models,” which are mice that have had one or several of their genes deleted or otherwise modified to study their function in disease []. This is possible because scientists can modify the genome of a mouse in its ES cells and then inject those modified cells into mouse blastocysts. This means that when the blastocyst develops into an adult mouse, every cell its body will have the modification of interest.
What is the zygote in a cell?
Fertilization of an egg cell by a sperm cell results in the generation of a zygote, the single cell that, upon a myriad of divisions, gives rise to our whole body. Because of this amazing developmental potential, the zygote is said to be totipotent. Along the way, the zygote develops into the blastocyst, which implants into the mother’s uterus. The blastocyst is a structure comprising about 300 cells that contains two main regions: the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophoblast. The ICM is made of embryonic stem cells (ES cells), which are referred to as pluripotent. They are able to give rise to all the cells in an embryo proper, but not to extra-embryonic tissues, such as the placenta. The latter originate from the trophoblast [].
What is the blastocyst made of?
The ICM is made of embryonic stem cells (ES cells), which are referred to as pluripotent. They are able to give rise to all the cells in an embryo proper, but not to extra-embryonic tissues, such as the placenta.
Is a stem cell multipotent?
By definition, a stem cell must be capable of both self-renewal ( undergoing cell division to make more stem cells) and differentiation into mature cell types. HSCs are said to be multipotent, as they can still give rise to multiple cell types, but only to other types of blood cells (see Figure 1, left column).
What are satellite cells?
Called satellite cells, these muscle cells are unipotent, as they can give rise to just one cell type, muscle cells. Therefore, the foundations of stem cell research lie not with the famous (or infamous) human embryonic stem cells, but with HSCs, which have been used in human therapy (such as bone marrow transplants) for decades.
Who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 2012?
The enormous importance of these findings is hard to overstate, and is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that, merely six years later, Gurdon and Yamanaka shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 [].
When were stem cells first discovered?
The concept of a stem cell was first proposed by researchers working on embryonic development in the nineteenth century. They saw such cells as the starting point for biological processes. From the early twentieth century stem cells began to be seen as the source of different kinds of blood cells. Yet, blood stem cells could not be visualised in this period, so many doubted their existence. Knowledge advanced during the Second World War through the identification of a recovery factor in bone marrow which was thought to help regenerate the blood system. This was discovered by the haematologists William Bloom and Leon Jacobson as part of their research into the effects of radiation on the blood system which they carried out as part of the Manhattan Project to build the first atom bomb. It was this observation that laid the basis for the development of the BMT procedure for the treatment of blood cancer (leukaemia). BMTs opened the way to the identification and characterisation of stem cells within the bone marrow in the 1960s. In 1978 stem cells were also discovered to be present in human cord blood and three years later scientists cultivated the first embryonic stem cells from mice blastocysts.
Why are stem cells important?
This is useful not only for understanding the cause of disease, but also for the development of new therapies. The ability to generate large numbers of specialised cells from stem cells has also led to their use for testing the safety of new medicines, thereby reducing the need for animal testing. Cancer stem cells, for example, are used to screen potential anti-tumour drugs. Stem cells are also being explored for their properties to replace cells lost in degenerative diseases and for repairing cells in damaged tissues, a field known as regenerative medicine. Today more than 1,100 clinical studies, the overwhelming majority of them using adult stem cells, are being conducted to investigate the power of stem cell therapy. This includes treatments for retinal diseases, neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, heart disease such as post-ischaemic stroke, and type 1 diabetes.
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are cells which have not yet developed a special structure and function but which have the capacity to mature into cells with the characteristic shapes and specified functions of other cells in the body, such as heart, skin, muscle and nerve cells. Such cells are microscopic in size and can be found in all multi-cellular organisms.
Why are stem cells important?
Blood-forming stem cells are important because they grow into different types of blood cells. The main types of blood cells are: White blood cells, which are part of your immune system and help your body fight infection. Red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Platelets, which help the blood clot.
How long does it take to recover from a stem cell transplant?
The process of a stem cell transplant, with the high-dose treatments, the transplant, and recovery, can take weeks or months. You will be in and out of the hospital during this time. Even when you are not in the hospital, sometimes you will need to stay near it, rather than staying in your own home.
How do stem cells get into the body?
In a stem cell transplant, you receive healthy blood-forming stem cells through a needle in your vein. Once they enter your bloodstream, the stem cells travel to the bone marrow, where they take the place of the cells that were destroyed by treatment. The blood-forming stem cells that are used in transplants can come from the bone marrow, bloodstream, or umbilical cord. Transplants can be: 1 Autologous, which means the stem cells come from you, the patient 2 Allogeneic, which means the stem cells come from someone else. The donor may be a blood relative but can also be someone who is not related. 3 Syngeneic, which means the stem cells come from your identical twin, if you have one
What is the effect of graft versus tumor?
Graft-versus-tumor occurs when white blood cells from your donor (the graft) attack any cancer cells that remain in your body (the tumor) after high-dose treatments. This effect improves the success of the treatments.
What type of cancer is stem cell transplant?
Who Receives Stem Cell Transplants. Stem cell transplants are most often used to help people with leukemia and lymphoma. They may also be used for neuroblastoma and multiple myeloma. Stem cell transplants for other types of cancer are being studied in clinical trials, which are research studies involving people.
Can stem cell transplants cause cancer?
Stem Cell Transplants Can Cause Side Effects. The high doses of cancer treatment that you have before a stem cell transplant can cause problems such as bleeding and an increased risk of infection. Talk with your doctor or nurse about other side effects that you might have and how serious they might be.
Does insurance cover stem cell transplants?
Stem cells transplants are complicated procedures that are very expensive. Most insurance plans cover some of the costs of transplants for certain types of cancer. Talk with your health plan about which services it will pay for.
