Stem Cell Science

Stem Cell Theory

Stem cells are different from other cells of the body in that they have the ability to differentiate into other cell/tissue types. This ability allows them to replace cells that have died. With this ability, they have been used to replace defective cells/tissues in patients who have certain diseases or defects.

During the 1990's the research focus for many debilitating diseases was focused on gene therapy, which involves putting certain genes into cells in a patient. Today, the focus has shifted to research on how to put stem cells into patients.

One important aspect of stem cell biology that may be of significance for the success of stem cell therapy is inflammation. We need to know whether a chronically inflamed environment in a patient may disrupt the attempt to treat with stem cells. Stem cells “sense” where to go for repair. Inflammation may confuse this “sensing”, and thus make stem cell therapy less successful without a more integrated (holistic) approach to health. Research into inflammation and how it affects stem cells in acute versus chronic repair is a hot topic in today’s stem cell research. [reference: Mourkioti F, Rosenthal N: IGF-1, inflammation and stem cells: interactions during muscle regeneration. Trends in Immunology 26(10): 535-542, October 2005.]

Definitions

Adult stem cell - a stem cell from an adult person. Just a few years ago, these stem cells were believed to be limited to making only blood cells. We now have some scientific evidence that these stem cells have a great deal of potential.

Cord blood stem cell – a stem cell isolated from the blood in the umbilical cord from a new born baby. Fewer ethical concerns are attached to the use of cord blood cells, because the cord is a “waste product”. Some people even pay to have their child’s cord blood frozen for later use, should the child need stem cells.

Embryonic stem cell – a stem cell from a fetus. The scientific belief has been that these cells are the only cells that are so primitive that they are capable of becoming almost any other cell.

Stem cell - A cell that has the ability to continuously divide and differentiate (develop) into various other kind(s) of cells/tissues. An unspecialized cell that gives rise to a specific specialized cell, such as a blood cell or a muscle cell.