Why Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Important
Biology 103
Stem cells are known as the foundation of our bodies, and without them we would be unable to repair various organs or tissues whenever they may become damaged. Stem cells are very extraordinary cells because after division and a new cell is created, they are able to either remain a stem cell or turn into an even more specialized cell such as a muscle cell, red blood cell, or brain cell. Until recently, there were only two major types of stem cells, known as embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. More recently, scientists have been able to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Human embryonic cells were first isolated and cultured in 1998, and scientists have made noteworthy progress ever since. Embryonic stem …show more content…
cells are acquired from embryos, which are multicellular diploid eukaryotes in their earliest stages of life. In humans, it is called an embryo until eight weeks after fertilization, and then known as a fetus. These cells are retrieved in human forms in an early stage of the development process, known as the blastocyst stage. The blastocyst is the inner cell mass of an embryo that is approximately 5-6 days old that is made up of roughly 150 cells. Cell culture is the process of growing cells under controlled conditions in a laboratory. After removing the stem cells from the embryo, they are then transferred into a plastic culture dish filled with nutrients needed to support the cell, also known as a culture medium. Typically the culture dishes are lined with mouse embryonic skin cells to increase plating efficiency and maintain pluripotency. This layer of cells is known as the feeder layer and also releases nutrients into the culture medium to optimize growth among the embryonic cells. The greatest issue of all regarding embryonic stem cell research is the ethical point of view. While some may see an embryo as the creation of life, and then to terminate that life to derive the stem cells, is where ethics become involved. Although this argument is very real and being heard, there are still many strong points to defend the positive facts of this area of research. Embryonic stem cells are very unique and have the ability to develop into new organs, nerves, and even skin regeneration. In conclusion to embryonic stem cells, “Scientists are making remarkable progress, learning about human developmental processes, modeling disease and establishing strategies that could ultimately lead to new medical treatments” (Understanding Stem Cells, n.d.).
Adult stem cells, also referred to as somatic stem cells, are collected from the various tissues in the body that specialize in specific roles of renewing and replenishing damaged tissue or organs. Adult stem cells are classified as multipotent, which identifies their ability to form multiple cell types within particular tissues or organs. The most common and researched type of adult stem cell to this day are found in bone marrow. The two types of known stem cells found in bone marrow are; hematopoietic stem cells and bone marrow stromal stem cells, which can be used to create and repair bone, cartilage, fat, and connective tissues. Examples for treatments of adult stem cells are to transplant cells into the brains of those suffering from Parkinson’s disease and even insulin-producing cells for those suffering from diabetes. Adult stem cells are also an advantage because they are being taken from the person’s body and will not likely reject the cells when transplanted at a later time. Somatic stem cells seem like the best option without the ethical controversy and their ease of transplantation, however there are challenges that come along as well. “Typically, there is a very small number of stem cells in each tissue, and once removed from the body, their capacity to divide is limited, making generation of large quantities of stem cells difficult” (Stem Cell Basics: What are adult stem cells, 2002). Some researchers state there are as small quantities as one adult stem cell per every 100,000 neighboring cells. Adult stem cells are still being researched and scientists are advancing their knowledge every day in this field of study.
Induced pluripotent cells, or iPSCs, are adult cells that were specialized beforehand, such as a skin cell, but were reprogrammed to perform like an embryonic cell.
IPS cells are a recent breakthrough in stem cell research and still in the early stages of the developmental process. IPSCs are great because ideally they will work in the same ways of embryonic stem cells, without the ethical controversies. Human iPSC’s were first introduced in late 2007, while they had been working on iPS cells in mice the previous year or so. “The discovery of iPSCs also raised hopes that cells could be made from a patient’s own skin in order to treat their disease, avoiding the risk of immune rejection. However, use of iPSC’s in cell therapy is theoretical at the moment” (Cox, 2012). Although the idea of iPSCs are incredible, there are still other negative factors that may cause problems. If an iPSC is not fully matured when transplanted, the risk of this cell causing cancer is much greater. IPS cells have the ability to have great significance in the field of stem cell research in the near future, but more research and understanding is required before any human therapeutic options are …show more content…
available.
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inheritable disease that causes the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, and has a large impact on the functional and cognitive skills of those affected.
An estimated 30,000 people are affected by HD and is common in both men and women and all ethnic groups. Currently, there is no treatment for HD, and recently, Neuroscientists Joen and colleagues conducted an experiment with the use of iPSCs for the treatment of Huntington’s disease in lab rats. Their hypothesis was not listed in this experiment. IPSCs were transplanted into immune-competent rats during the early, mid, and late stage of the disease phenotype and observed up to 90 days post-transplantation. The independent variables of their experiment were the iPSCs and the stage of the disease in which they were transplanted during. The dependent variable of the experiment is the impact the iPSCs have on Huntington’s disease. Results from this experiment were concluded that when inducing the stem cells, there was no obvious rejection and no tumors were observed at the site of transplantation. Also, when iPSCs were induced at mid and late stages of the disease phenotype, iPSC therapy reduced HD symptoms through the replacement of lost neurons. In conclusion, iPSCs have been observed with positive impacts on Huntington’s disease, although many more hours of research and lab experiments are still needed before human treatment is put into
place.
References
Cox, Claire. (2012, August 17). Stem cell research & therapy: types of stem cells and their current uses. Retrieved from http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/stem-cell-research- therapy-types-stem-cells-and-their-current-uses Crane, A. (2014). Use of genetically altered stem cells for the treatment of Huntington’s disease.
Retrieved from www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/
Stem Cell Basics: Introduction. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2002. Retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx Understanding stem cells. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.isscr.org/visitor-types/public/stem-
cell-faq
Stem cells are known as the foundation of our bodies, and without them we would be unable to repair various organs or tissues whenever they may become damaged. Stem cells are very extraordinary cells because after division and a new cell is created, they are able to either remain a stem cell or turn into an even more specialized cell such as a muscle cell, red blood cell, or brain cell. Until recently, there were only two major types of stem cells, known as embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. More recently, scientists have been able to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Human embryonic cells were first isolated and cultured in 1998, and scientists have made noteworthy progress ever since. Embryonic stem …show more content…
cells are acquired from embryos, which are multicellular diploid eukaryotes in their earliest stages of life. In humans, it is called an embryo until eight weeks after fertilization, and then known as a fetus. These cells are retrieved in human forms in an early stage of the development process, known as the blastocyst stage. The blastocyst is the inner cell mass of an embryo that is approximately 5-6 days old that is made up of roughly 150 cells. Cell culture is the process of growing cells under controlled conditions in a laboratory. After removing the stem cells from the embryo, they are then transferred into a plastic culture dish filled with nutrients needed to support the cell, also known as a culture medium. Typically the culture dishes are lined with mouse embryonic skin cells to increase plating efficiency and maintain pluripotency. This layer of cells is known as the feeder layer and also releases nutrients into the culture medium to optimize growth among the embryonic cells. The greatest issue of all regarding embryonic stem cell research is the ethical point of view. While some may see an embryo as the creation of life, and then to terminate that life to derive the stem cells, is where ethics become involved. Although this argument is very real and being heard, there are still many strong points to defend the positive facts of this area of research. Embryonic stem cells are very unique and have the ability to develop into new organs, nerves, and even skin regeneration. In conclusion to embryonic stem cells, “Scientists are making remarkable progress, learning about human developmental processes, modeling disease and establishing strategies that could ultimately lead to new medical treatments” (Understanding Stem Cells, n.d.).
Adult stem cells, also referred to as somatic stem cells, are collected from the various tissues in the body that specialize in specific roles of renewing and replenishing damaged tissue or organs. Adult stem cells are classified as multipotent, which identifies their ability to form multiple cell types within particular tissues or organs. The most common and researched type of adult stem cell to this day are found in bone marrow. The two types of known stem cells found in bone marrow are; hematopoietic stem cells and bone marrow stromal stem cells, which can be used to create and repair bone, cartilage, fat, and connective tissues. Examples for treatments of adult stem cells are to transplant cells into the brains of those suffering from Parkinson’s disease and even insulin-producing cells for those suffering from diabetes. Adult stem cells are also an advantage because they are being taken from the person’s body and will not likely reject the cells when transplanted at a later time. Somatic stem cells seem like the best option without the ethical controversy and their ease of transplantation, however there are challenges that come along as well. “Typically, there is a very small number of stem cells in each tissue, and once removed from the body, their capacity to divide is limited, making generation of large quantities of stem cells difficult” (Stem Cell Basics: What are adult stem cells, 2002). Some researchers state there are as small quantities as one adult stem cell per every 100,000 neighboring cells. Adult stem cells are still being researched and scientists are advancing their knowledge every day in this field of study.
Induced pluripotent cells, or iPSCs, are adult cells that were specialized beforehand, such as a skin cell, but were reprogrammed to perform like an embryonic cell.
IPS cells are a recent breakthrough in stem cell research and still in the early stages of the developmental process. IPSCs are great because ideally they will work in the same ways of embryonic stem cells, without the ethical controversies. Human iPSC’s were first introduced in late 2007, while they had been working on iPS cells in mice the previous year or so. “The discovery of iPSCs also raised hopes that cells could be made from a patient’s own skin in order to treat their disease, avoiding the risk of immune rejection. However, use of iPSC’s in cell therapy is theoretical at the moment” (Cox, 2012). Although the idea of iPSCs are incredible, there are still other negative factors that may cause problems. If an iPSC is not fully matured when transplanted, the risk of this cell causing cancer is much greater. IPS cells have the ability to have great significance in the field of stem cell research in the near future, but more research and understanding is required before any human therapeutic options are …show more content…
available.
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inheritable disease that causes the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, and has a large impact on the functional and cognitive skills of those affected.
An estimated 30,000 people are affected by HD and is common in both men and women and all ethnic groups. Currently, there is no treatment for HD, and recently, Neuroscientists Joen and colleagues conducted an experiment with the use of iPSCs for the treatment of Huntington’s disease in lab rats. Their hypothesis was not listed in this experiment. IPSCs were transplanted into immune-competent rats during the early, mid, and late stage of the disease phenotype and observed up to 90 days post-transplantation. The independent variables of their experiment were the iPSCs and the stage of the disease in which they were transplanted during. The dependent variable of the experiment is the impact the iPSCs have on Huntington’s disease. Results from this experiment were concluded that when inducing the stem cells, there was no obvious rejection and no tumors were observed at the site of transplantation. Also, when iPSCs were induced at mid and late stages of the disease phenotype, iPSC therapy reduced HD symptoms through the replacement of lost neurons. In conclusion, iPSCs have been observed with positive impacts on Huntington’s disease, although many more hours of research and lab experiments are still needed before human treatment is put into
place.
References
Cox, Claire. (2012, August 17). Stem cell research & therapy: types of stem cells and their current uses. Retrieved from http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/stem-cell-research- therapy-types-stem-cells-and-their-current-uses Crane, A. (2014). Use of genetically altered stem cells for the treatment of Huntington’s disease.
Retrieved from www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/
Stem Cell Basics: Introduction. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2002. Retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx Understanding stem cells. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.isscr.org/visitor-types/public/stem-
cell-faq