Stem Cells in Medicine

Understanding Stem Cells

Stem cells are unspecialised cells that have the ability to develop into any type of cell in the body.
These cells can self-renew, producing more stem cells, and can change into specialised cells through a process called differentiation.
There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are derived from embryos, and adult stem cells, found in certain tissues within the body.

Regenerative medicine is a field that uses stem cells to repair damaged or diseased tissue.
Stem cells are used in bone marrow transplants, a treatment for certain types of cancer. Here, the patient’s damaged bone marrow is replaced with healthy stem cells that can produce new blood cells.
Scientists are exploring the use of stem cells in treating neurogenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The idea is to replace damaged brain cells with new, healthy ones grown from stem cells.
Stem cells can be used to grow skin grafts for people who have suffered severe burns, improving the healing process and cosmetic outcome.

There are often ethical debates around the use of embryonic stem cells, as they are derived from very early stage human embryos. Some argue this constitutes the misuse of human life.
Adult stem cells do not raise such ethical concerns, but they are less versatile than embryonic stem cells, as their potential to differentiate into different cell types is limited.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to be more like embryonic stem cells. These offer another source of versatile stem cells and are the subject of much ongoing research.

Biotechnology plays a pivotal role in stem cell research, such as the genetic reprogramming techniques used to create iPSCs.
Techniques like gene editing (CRISPR-Cas9) are being explored in relation to stem cells, potentially allowing scientists to correct genetic errors in a patient’s own cells and use them for treatment.
Stem cell therapies are still largely experimental, with many clinical trials ongoing to test their safety and effectiveness. Developments in this field could reinterpret treatment methods for various diseases in the future.