Stem cell

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I. Introduction

The progress of stem cell research was a significant turning point in history and certainly caught the attention of scientific medicine. In the last two decades, it has advanced from therapeutic modalities to be hopeful in its progress in treating major diseases. Stem cell research is being followed to achieve medical developments and breakthroughs in science. Once scientists and researchers realized stem cell potential, they aimed to create therapies and treatments to replace and rebuild. Both adult and embryonic stem cells offer hope to patients who have cancer, Parkinson’s, and diabetes, to name a few. Scientists must consider the ethical and moral debate of stem cell research. The question of concern is the nature of early human life, the embryo. Even with the controversy still today, the majority of religious and political Americans support stem cell research and understand that regulations must be set forth. Even though there are serious concerns for safety, stem cell research should be more widely accepted both ethically and morally, because it is the key to medical progress and possible cures for numerous diseases and conditions.

II. Stem Cells

1. What are stem cells

1. Undifferentiated cells that have not yet received a specific set of characteristics.
2. Can self-replicate and hold the potential to grow into specific cell types.

1. Two types of stem cells

1. Adult stem cells-Somatic or non-embryonic stem cells that are undifferentiated with the ability to continue dividing and differentiating into specialized cell types.
2. Embryonic stem cells-Stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, (4-5 days old post-fertilization).

III. Adult Stem Cells

1. Multipotent cells

1. Develop into more than one cell type.

1. What role do they play?

1. To replenish dying cells
2. Regenerate damaged tissue

1. Medical Progress

1. Treat heart failure, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes.
2. Regenerative medicine

IV. Stem Cell Therapy-

1. Use- To treat or prevent a disease or condition
2. Established therapy-Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

1. Bone marrow transplantation derived from bone marrow or also taken from umbilical cord blood.
2. Apheresis-Blood taken from a vein and circulated through a machine that removes the stem cells and is used for regenerative medicine.

1. Benefits

1. Increases functionality, range of motion, and flexibility of the joint, muscle, or part of the body that was damaged.
2. Treatment of cardiovascular diseases
3. Heals incisions and wounds
4. Autoimmune diseases

V. Reversing type 1 diabetes with stem cell islets.

A. How is this achieved?

1. A pancreatic or islet cell transplant

B. Viacyte and Vertex-Clinical trial companies

1. Viacyte- Clinical trials started March 2014

2. Vertex-Clinical trials began March 2021.

VI. Stem Cell Transplantation in Neurorehabilitation

1. How is this achieved?

1. Stem cell therapy in conjunction with physiotherapy

1. Goal

1. To preserve the patient’s previous level of mobility both prior to and following the treatment.

1. Who can Benefit?

1. Patients who have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury.

VII. Demystifying the wild west of Regenerative Medicine

1. What is regenerative medicine

1. Process of replacing, engineering, or regenerating human or animal cells, and tissue organs.

1. Why

1. To restore or establish normal function
2. Alternative treatment

1. Conditions

1. Arthritis, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction.

1. Commonly used

1. Bone marrow, adipose tissue, platelet-rich plasma, umbilical stem cells and cord blood.

VIII. Solving Lymphomas stem cell problem

1. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

1. Patients who receive a transplant known as an autologous transplant are healed.
2. Patients receive allogeneic stem cells as last resort if Lymphoma has spread.

1. GvHD- Severe immune response
2. Drugs to treat GvHD are ibrutinib, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib with the use of T-Cells from cord blood.

IX. Germ Line Gene Therapy

1. What is Gene therapy

1. Introduction of a therapeutic gene to replace a faulty gene.

1. When is Gene therapy used?

1. When sperm and egg are genetically altered, somatic therapy first, then germline gene therapy second.

1. Passed down to future generations in the treatment of hereditary illnesses.

1. Moral and ethical Challenges

1. Religious groups and politicians

1. Regulated

1. FDA and NIH

X. Human Cloning

A. What is a clone?

1. Genetically identical copy

B. Two methods

1. Reproductive or therapeutic

C. How is it achieved

1. Therapeutic- a human embryo is formed from a somatic cell and the cells of the embryo are used to produce different types of cells and tissues.

2. Reproductive- Nuclear transfer to make an embryo to full term as opposed to harvesting stem cells.

D. Objections- entails the creation of embryos for the benefit of a third party.

XI. Regulating the stem cell industry: needs and responsibilities

1. Public health concerns

1. Risk and undetermined medical benefits
2. Illegal and unlicensed clinics
3. Vulnerable patients
4. Cost and financial harm