Stem cells

Starting with specialized cells…

Our body is made of different kinds of specialized

cells which have a specific kinds of function it
performs, such as:
• Pancreatic cells: make insulin and damaging it
causes diabetes.
• Red blood cells: transporting CO2 and O2, by
changing the protein genetically, sickle cell may
result.
And other cells such as white blood cells, muscle
cells, nerve cells and skin cells …. Exc.
The story is so far…
The many cells of different types of cells all arise
form a single cell (fertilized egg cell), formed from
fusion between a sperm and an ovum.
So all body cells have the same genetic material.
HOW:
At the beginning
• During the embryo alldevelopment,
the cells that the
result from the
cells
fertilized egg
specialize andcell are a it’s
produce likeown
and characteristic
are called stem
cells.
proteins by process called differentiation, in which
segments of the material are activated or
suppressed.
Animation:
http://sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/stemcells.html
The story is so far…

Animation:
http://sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/stemcells.html
Types of Stem cells…
Comparis Embryoni Adult
on c
Among differentiated
Inner cell
cells in a tissue or organ
Presence mass of
(except nervous tissue
blastocysts
and muscles)

Differentiate
to form all repair the tissue in
Function
body tissues which they are found
and organs
 Totipotent, pluripotent and
Multipotent…

The outer layer

form placenta and
the inner mass cells Differentiate to Differentiate to
form the embryo any type of cells limited types of cells
 Endoderm Mesoderm ectoderm
The innermost The middle layer The outer most
layer of cells in of cells in an later of cells in
an embryo embryo an embryo
Develop into
Develop into the
muscles and Develop into
linings of the
most of the sense organs,
digestive tract
circulatory, nerves and the
and most of the
reproductive and outer layer of
respiratory
excretory organ skin
system
system
Stem cells as a
treatment
1. Umbilical-cord-blood stem cell
therapy…
Umbilical cord stem cells: It is a
rich source of
hematopoietic stem cells,
which are precursors to
blood cells, which used to treat
leukemia.
2. Bone marrow transplant…
In which bone marrow of a healthy
donor is injected into a bone marrow
of a patient (leukemia).But,
First the unhealthy cells are killed by
chemotherapy and radiation, then
receiving the healthy bone marrow.
The risk of this process that the
immune system of patient may
attack on the donor cells.
Both umbilical cord cells and bone marrow are
used for treating leukemia but umbilical cord is
less likely than bone marrow to cause and immune
response in the patient.
New researches…
• One research target for adult stem cell therapy
is diabetes (type 1), but embryonic stem cells
can achieve more effective results.
• Another research target is treating neurological
diseases, like Parkinson’s disease as person loses
the ability to move properly be cause nerve cells
in the brain make the chemical dopamine.
The stem cell debate…
• Isolating embryonic stem cells to use it as a
treatment destroys the embryo. What do you
think of that?!
• Some people reject using embryonic cell that will
turn into a human being ….
The stem cell debate…
• Another method being researched for creating
embryonic stem cell nucleus from the person to
be treated, this produces an embryonic stem cell
with the same genetic makeup as the recipient
lowering the chance of an immune reaction to
the stem cells, how ever, the same ethical
considerations apply.