Stem Cells Research

If you or any of your relative is suffering from deadly diseases such as Parkinson?s, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer?s or any other, then these small cells-could be a matter of life and death for you! It has been shown that the stem cells are capable of differentiating into specialized cells or organs of the body as well renewing or repairing any damage which has occurred in the tissues or organs of the body! Hence, you can see for yourself that these stem cells have a life-saving potential.

Stem cells are of two types and both of them have enormous potential in their own. These are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. The embryonic stem cells are derived from the blastocyst or the inner mass of the embryos, after fertilization has occurred whereas the adult stem cells are already present within the specialized tissues/organs, and multiply by mitotic division for replenishing dying cells and regenerating damaged tissues. Adult stem cells have been found to have a much longer track record in treatments, in comparison to the embryonic stem cells and are not controversial as they do not result in the destruction of embryos.

Stem cells are derived from blastocyst and can give rise to specialized cells in the body- for example, a blank cell can become a specialized cell if it attaches to the blood stream or if you have an injury in your spinal cord, then it can become a nerve, cartilage or motor cell. So, a stem cell can take any shape or form, depending on the requirements of the body. Hence, they are of immense importance in carrying organ transplants or treating deadly diseases such as cancer, Parkinson?s or Alzheimer?s.

Generally, if an organ transplant is required for a person, then it is very difficult to obtain a fresh piece of organ. But if the stem cells are controlled and manipulated properly, then they will grow into a specialized organ and will serve as a potential supply for organ transplant. Moreover, as these cells are able to renew or repair the damaged tissues, so can be used for replacing the cells lost in injuries or accidents. For example in Parkinson?s disease, the brain cells are lost or damaged, and hence a person is not able to co-ordinate his/her muscle movements and looses memory. But if you can add new cells in place of the dead ones, then the person will be able to live normally. So, think of the potential that this small cell has!

Hence, stem cell research can really affect everybody?s life. If you support this research, then you may be able to save your friend or relative from having an untimely death!

Stem cells differ from the other kinds of cells in the body. There are basically three unique properties of the stem cells which are really very important. They have the capability of dividing and renewing for a long period of times. They are unspecialized and the third one is that they can give rise to the formation of the specialized cells.

Scientists are really trying very hard to understand the two fundamental properties of the stem cells which are really related to the self renewal properties of the stem cells.  The two fundamental properties are as follows:

1. The first point is that how can the embryonic cells proliferate for so long and this also without differentiating where as the adult stem cells cannot.
2. The second point is of the fact that how the stem cells can proliferate for so long and renews itself without differentiating.

While trying to answer these questions the scientists may find the way to understand how the cell proliferation takes place during the embryonic development abnormal cell division that leads to the cancer. In fact all these studies will help the scientists grow the embryonic cells and the adult cell better in the laboratory.

I would like to explain the two plus points of the stem cells in detail. The details with the description are as below:

1. Stem cells are unspecialized and can develop specialized cells
One of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures that allow it to perform specialized functions. A stem cell cannot work with its neighbors to pump blood through the body (like a heart muscle cell); it cannot carry molecules of oxygen through the bloodstream (like a red blood cell); and it cannot fire electrochemical signals to other cells that allow the body to move or speak (like a nerve cell). However, unspecialized stem cells can give rise to specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells.

2. Stem cells can divide and renew itself on it own
Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells-which do not normally replicate themselves-stem cells may replicate many times. When cells replicate themselves many times over it is called proliferation. A starting population of stem cells that proliferates for many months in the laboratory can yield millions of cells. If the resulting cells continue to be unspecialized, like the parent stem cells, the cells are said to be capable of long-term self-renewal.

I really feel that these are some points which just reveal one point and that is the research on the stem cells can come out to be a major milestone in the field of medicine. We all know that the bio technology has really been a milestone in the field of medicinal world. And the research topics can really be more than a milestone.