STEM
CELL RESEARCH
One
of the most promising technologies in recent times
is stem cell research. It has been very much in the
news lately.
A
stem cell is a primitive type of cell that can be
coaxed into developing into most of the 220 types
of cells found in the human body (e.g. blood cells,
heart cells, brain cells, etc). Thus, many researchers
believe that stem cell research offers great potential
in treating many diseases such as heart diseases,
diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Stem
cells can be extracted from very young human embryos.
These embryos are usually 'leftovers' from in-vitro
fertilization treatment. The stem cells are extracted
from the blastocyst that are in the embryo. These
stem cells are then cultivated and then differentiate
into different tissue and cell types. This treatment
may 'grow' a new organ for those in need of a transplant
without the worry of rejection by the body. Extracting
its stem cells kills the embryo - an act many consider
murder. Because of that, there has been a great debate
over stem cells from human embryos.
Recent
technological breakthroughs enable stem cells to be
grown in the laboratory, so further research can be
done using existing stem cells; no further harvesting
needs to be made from embryos. Stem cells can also
be extracted from adult tissue, without harm to the
subject. Unfortunately, they are difficult to remove,
are severely limited in quantity, and appear to be
limited in usefulness. Stem cells from the human body
can be extracted from the bone marrow. However, these
stem cells are not as versatile as the ones extracted
from human embryos as they can only regenerate itself
but cannot form new tissue and specialized cell types
Research
using stem cells has been authorized in Britain, but
was halted in the U.S. by President George W. Bush.
Bush decided on 9th August, 2001 to allow research
to start again in government labs, but restricted
research to use only existing lines of stem cells.
Stem
Cells Steps
Here
is how Stem Cell is produced:
First
Step: Embryo
- An
egg is fertilized or cloned to form an embryo.
The embryo begins to divide
Second Step: 1 to 5 day
- The
embryo divides again and again and takes shape
as a sphere called a blastocyst
Third
Step: 5 to 7 days
- By
this time embryonic stem cells are visible and
are capable of developing into any tissue in the
body
Fourth
Step: Stem Line
- The
cells are removed and grown in a Petri dish. As
they divide, they create a line of stem cells
Tissue production
Using various recipes of nutrients and other factors,
scientist hope to turn stem cells into any of the
body's more than 200 tissues, such as Pancreatic Islet
cells, Muscle cells, Nerve cells etc.
Click
here to veiw an interactive illustration of the production
of the stem cell
