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Embryonic Stem Cells

Page history last edited by bjeyabal@sgu.edu 12 years, 12 months ago

 

The Potential of Embryonic Stem Cells

 

 

 

 

 

Madison stem cell research pioneer James Thomson is one of three winners of this year’s Albany Medical Centre Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, which some call “America’s Nobel.”

Thomson was the first to isolate and grow human embryonic stem cells in the lab, in 1998.  He helped discover a new way of creating stem cells in 2007 by reprogramming skin cells back to their embryonic state.

 

Definition

 

 Embryonic stem cells is the removal of cells from the blastocyte 4-5 days post fertilization for medical research.

 

Why embryonic stem cells are used more often in comparison to adult stem cells?

 

Embryonic stem cells have more developmental potential; which means that it would be able to give rise to cells found in all tissues of the body. The chances of cultivating a cell that be used by any part of the body increases its level of importance as compared to adult stem cells that have limitations as to where it can be used. 

 

Background

 

Therapeutic cloning is a method to produce stem cell lines that were genetic matches for adults and children.

 

Steps in therapeutic cloning are:
1. An egg is obtained from a human donor.
2. The nucleus (DNA) is removed from the egg.
3. Skin cells are taken from the patient.
4. The nucleus (DNA) is removed from a skin cell.
5. A skin cell nucleus is implanted in the egg.
6. The egg, now called a blastocyst. Chemical and electrical current is used to stimulate the cells. 
7. In 3 to 5 days, the embryonic stem cells are removed.
8. The blastocyst is destroyed.
9. Stem cells can be used to generate an organ or tissue that is a genetic match to the skin cell donor.

 

 

 

 

 

The first 6 steps are same for reproductive cloning. The only difference is that instead of removing stem cells, the blastocyst is implanted in a woman. Reproductive cloning is outlawed in most countries.

 

Before Bush stopped federal research in 2001, a minor amount of embryonic stem cell research was performed by US scientists using embryos created at fertility clinics and donated by couples who no longer needed them. 

 

Stem cells are found in limited quantities in every human body, and can be extracted from adult tissue with great effort but without harm. There is general agreement among researchers  that adult stem cells are limited in usefulness because they can be used to produce only a few of the 220 types of cells found in the human body. 

 

Techniques involve in harvesting embryonic stem cells:

 

 

 

Stem cell therapy

 

 

Altered nuclear transfer makes harvesting stem cells possible without any potential damage to the developing embryo. About 4-5 days post fertilization cells are being obtained from the blastocyte; after the cells are being harvested the embryo is ultimately destroyed. The process takes place when the developing embryo is approximately 150 cells. The cells harvested are being cultivated under special laboratory conditions where it can be later used for treating different types of diseases as well as transplantation of vital organs.

 

 

Advantages Human Embryonic Stem Cells

  

  • Highly Expandable -Large numbers can be grown in cultures easily
  •  Longer life spans in the lab
  • Can differentiate into all different cell types

 

    

Disadvantages of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

 

  •  Embryonic stem cells from a donor can cause rejection : not determined in humans. Immuno-suppressive therapy is required. 
  •  Possible viral or bacterial transfer from donor to recipient
  • Harder to direct into a desired cell type
  • Ethical objections in the use the embryos for experimental research
  • Difficult to isolate  
  • there is a high risk of teratocarcinomas 
  • Lack of specific identification markers 

 

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