Medical Uses of Stem Cells – Now and in The Future
A stem cell is the root of the development of all the cells in the body. It has yet to become a cell with a defined purpose. There are embryonic stem cells, that is cells derived from an embryo in a laboratory. These cells are called pluripotent as they can be capable of developing into any of the over two hundred types of cell in the human body.
There are also adult stem cells. Such cells are rather special within the mature human body since under a specific set of conditions they can be made to change and resemble embryonic stem cells. Such cells are known as induced pluripotent stem cells.
The hope is that stem cells will prove useful in the treatment of numerous diseases and to help heal a multitude of different injuries. Stem cell treatments have actually been in use for over forty years. Take for instance the treatment of such illnesses as leukemia and lymphoma and other conditions treated with chemotherapy. We all know that these may be relieved by a bone marrow transplant, but what is actually taking place is the regeneration of a patient’s destroyed immune system by use of donated stem cells from the bone marrow of the donor.
The same technique is undergoing trials in the treatment of some cancers and diabetes. As well as using a donor, tests are also being performed on cells harvested from the patient’s own body. These cells are then reprogrammed in a laboratory and reintroduced to the patient’s body to generate new disease free cells.
This type of treatment is already being used in Europe in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, with some encouraging results. Medical professionals also hope that this technique may be useful for other types of illness.
The major bonus to be gained from using cells from a patient’s own body is that the risk of rejection is lessened. Use of donor cells often means that to avoid the risk of rejection by the body, patients may have to take anti rejection medicines for the rest of their lives. These drugs have serious life limiting side effects.
Certain diseases can only be cured with an organ transplant. There are far fewer donors available than there are people in need of a transplant. Again, there is the distinct possibility of rejection and a lifetime of drugs to combat this. Scientists hope that the use of stem cells may obviate the need for donor transplants since the cells could be used to grow the specialist cells needed for repair of body parts or organs.
A recent study detailed how stem cells were treated with a substance containing iron and then once inside the body they could be magnetically manipulated to areas where there was injury to an artery. Some feel that stem cells may also be helpful in the development of all kinds of new drugs. This is already being used to help develop anti cancer drugs.
Stem cells are also being tested in treatment of injuries such as spinal cord injuries. A patient with a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis has been treated with stem cell therapy in France with the result that he regained some control and movement over his legs.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 am
Has anyone tried any type of stem cell transplantation, treatment to treat hereditary spastic paraplegia ?? If spinal injuries can be helped, there should be a treatment for HSP.
John G. Berg