Stem Cells

  1. Stem cells are unspecialised cells that have the ability to divide and replicate indefinitely.

  2. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.

  3. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are three to five days old. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into almost every other type of cell in the body.

  4. Adult stem cells, also known as non-embryonic or somatic stem cells, exist throughout the body from the time of birth. They are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate into a limited number of cell types related to the tissue or organ in which they are found.

  5. Stem cells are key to the body’s ability to renew and repair its tissues and organs. They provide new cells for the body as it grows, and replace specialised cells that are damaged or lost.

  6. The process through which stem cells differentiate into specialised cells is regulated by the body’s genetic code.

  7. Stem cells have potential in many different areas of health and medical research. Studying stem cells can help us understand how they transform into the dazzling array of specialised cells that make us what we are.

  8. In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a variety of diseases and impairments. These include spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

  9. The use of stem cells, especially embryonic stem cells, is a controversial topic and involves a lot of ethical debates.

  10. Learning to control stem cell proliferation and differentiation could also lead to therapeutic strategies for diseases such as cancer, in which cells proliferate uncontrollably, or degenerative diseases, in which cells die and are not replaced.

  11. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. This means they can grow into any type of cell in the body.