Stem cell magic

Stem cells are cells found in all multi-cellular organisms. The human body contains more than 200 different types of cells such as blood, brain, heart tissue, nerve cells, bones, etc. They retain the ability to renew them-selves through mitotic cell division and have the capacity to differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types.

The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem (ES) cells that are found in blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. Embryonic stem cells are commonly extracted from unwanted, surplus embryos. These are typically embryos that are created during medical procedures in fertility clinics which help infertile couples conceive. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.

In order to make embryo stem cells practical for therapeutic use, it would be necessary to create a new stem cell line for each patient that needs treatment. The embryonic stem cell potential remains untested, adult stem cell treatments have been used for many years to treat successfully leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow transplants. The stem cell patch (of new tissues) is developed to heal/replace tissues damaged by heart attack. Many nations currently have moratoria on either ES cell research or the production of new ES cell lines. However, it is being done in places like England and Korea, where researchers are now world leaders in this technology. The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo.

Scientists are confident that the research will lead to treatments to wide variety of diseases and disorders such as: bone loss, broken bones, brain damage due to oxygen starvation, severe burns, cancer (some forms), diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, incomplete bladder control, Huntington's, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, stroke, etc, etc. Millions of patients worldwide are going to be benefited by the research.

The ensuing public debate has prompted authorities around the world to seek regulatory frameworks and highlighted the fact that stem cell research represents a social and ethical challenge. Misuse of the unused embryos is matter of great concern. In US, Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee provides the necessary guidelines for the research. They address the many ethical, legal, scientific, and policy issues that are of concern to the public, and the scientific community. The guidelines report also called for the establishment of a national body to assess periodically the adequacy of the guidelines and to provide a forum for continuing discussion of human embryonic stem cell research.