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Stem Cells The science the benefits the debate and the future

While President Obama recently lifted the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research imposed by President Bush eight years ago, some people continue to oppose this move and call it unethical. So, while the scientific community is thrilled by the news and says the research will lead to medical breakthroughs, some communities consider the research as a “slippery slope”. But, what exactly are stem cells and why are they so important as to generate hot debates among all sorts of circles – political, social, religious, and what not? Here’s a look at some of those details.

The science behind stem cells
What sets stem cells apart from other cells is their ability to turn into any other type of tissue in the body. A stem cell from the bone marrow, for example, can be transformed into a neuron or nerve cell in the brain.

Types of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells versus Adult stem cells
Broadly, there are two types of stem cells in humans – embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells (ESC), as the name suggests, are isolated from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo (4-5 days post fertilization, and consisting of 50-150 cells). On the other hand, non-embryonic stem cells which are also known as adult stem cells are found in adult tissues.
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent as opposed to adult stem cells that are multipotent. What this means is that embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body (to be able to give rise to any mature cell type) while adult stem cells can only form a limited number of cell types (closely related family of cells).

Utility of stem cells
The importance of stem cell lies in the fact that they can be converted into any type of other cells or tissues in the body – neurons, pancreatic tissue, heart muscle cells, etc.
So, for example, stem cells harvested from your bone marrow can possibly be used to repair the damage in your heart muscle caused during a heart attack, or to correct blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia (anaemia) through transfusions of stem cells.
Stem cell therapy is believed to have the potential to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. Embryonic stem (ES) cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease.
But, it should be noted at this point that embryonic stem cell therapies are not in use yet. They are still only in the stage where medical researchers are testing them on animals.
On the other hand, adult stem cells have been successfully used to treat leukemia (leukaemia) and related bone/blood cancers utilizing bone marrow transplants.

The controversy
The controversy behind stem cell research pertains only to human embryonic stem cell research and not all stem cell research. What is controversial is the fact that the source of the research material, human embryos, is destroyed in the process of harvesting the stem cells. Pro-life activists oppose the research arguing that a human embryo is a human life that is entitled to protection.
Another area of controversy is that embryonic stem cell technologies are a slippery slope that may lead to reproductive cloning which may devalue human life.
The production of adult stem cells, on the other hand, does not require the destruction of an embryo and therefore, adult stem cell research and therapy are not as controversial. Though, adult stem cell treatment does carry a risk of rejection by the body’s immune system.

The present state of stem cell research
There are some countries that offer treatments using stem cells (read about medical tourism) but in such therapies only adult stem cells derived from the patient’s body are used (autograft). When possible, autografts are preferred as they remove the risk of rejection by the recipient’s body.
There is promising research ongoing in the field of stem cells to derive treatments for a wider variety of diseases including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, lung disease, arthritis, organ failure, and muscle damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions.

The future
The ultimate question on the minds of many is – “Why can’t we simply use adult stem cells instead of harvesting embryonic stem cells?”
Theoretically, embryonic stem cells are considered better because they work as a biological blank slate and are the most versatile of all stem cells whereas adult stem cells are sort of semi-specialized cells and are not as versatile as ESCs.
Though the field of adult stem cells is not marred by controversies, the problem with adult stem cells is also that they are often present only in minute quantities, are difficult to isolate and purify, and their numbers may decrease with age, according to a primer by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
At this juncture, much remains unknown about the potential of embryonic stem cells. But, going by the success in the field of animal testing it may very well turn out that embryonic stem cells could provide solutions to many diseases in humans.
The answer to the potential benefits of ESC lies in research. To understand the benefits of embryonic stem cells or any type of stem cells for that matter, and to discover possible treatments in humans, various lines of research need to be pursued simultaneously.
Only research can prove if adult stem cells are better over embryonic stems cells for curing human diseases or vice versa. It may also emerge that adult stem cells offer good treatments for certain ailments, while embryonic stem cells are better for curing others.

About the author:
The author works for Healthbase (www.healthbase.com), a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to high quality healthcare in USA and abroad for a fraction of the typical cost of care in US, Canada and UK.

Stem Cells and Your Baby on the Way Reasons for Banking Your Baby’s Placenta and Cord Blood Stem Cells

It’s 2:00 am and your awake. Between your soon to be bundle of joy kicking, and the heartburn (A sign of a head full of hair!) you have found yourself here. Now that you’re here why don’t we discuss Stem Cells, and the promise they can hold for the baby’s and your family’s future.

Unlike other kinds of cells found in the body, stem cells are cells that have the unique ability to divide, and renewing themselves over long periods of time. This ability separates them from other cells in the body like blood cells, brain cells, and muscle cells. These cells do not divide or renew themselves. When they are damaged or die they are gone forever.

Stem cells naturally reside in the adult body, and tend to generate the type of cells of the tissue in which they reside. An example would be bone marrow. Stem cells in bone marrow tend to generate into healthy blood cells. Bone marrow transplants have been used for years to help treat illnesses like Leukemia.

Stem cells are the building blocks of our tissues, blood, and immune system. Because of this they hold great promise for treatment of various illnesses and diseases. Today stem cells are used in the treatment of close to 80 diseases. New research is working on ways to use stem cells to treat all kinds of damaged cells. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injury.

What’s this got to do with my baby? Plenty. When you give birth there are two things that could become of what was once considered “Biohazardous Medical Waste”

This waste is the placenta, the umbilical cord, and the blood contained in it. This former waste is an abundant source of YOUR baby’s stem cells. You can either waste these stem cells or you can BANK them.

Just like a savings account you can bank your baby’s stem cells into what commonly called a “Blood Bank” or more recently a “Stem Cell Bank”. Stem cells are removed from the cord blood in the laboratory and then cryogenically frozen for future use.

Until recently only the stem cells from the cord blood could be harvested. But now there is a new process for harvesting stem cells from the Placenta as well. This allows you to bank 2 units of stem cells not just one! These stem cells can be used to help your baby, a sibling, or another family member in the event of illness.

There are lots of critics who will say that this is not necessary. They will tell you that the research into treatments using stem cells are years away! Not so. Treatments for illness and disease using stem cells are being performed everyday. With the promise of several more in the future.

If you told my mom when I was born in 1964 that man would soon walk on the moon. That before my current mid life crisis that I would be able to get on the phone and drive all over the county on a phone in my ear, that I could take a TV dinner out of the freezer and be able to eat it hot in 5 minutes, that I could write an article and in 2 minutes people all over the world could be reading it translated into their language, that I could take her picture and look at it in a frame in under a minute, she would ask the doctor to give you a DRUG TEST! Of course they did not have those readily available in 1964 either. You get my point. The promise of the future is endless. So why not give your baby, and your family the most hope for their future as possible. Bank your baby‘s placenta and cord blood stem cells. For more information please go to my web site to find out how easy this process is and how to do it.

Cord Blood Cells – Advantages of Extracting Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord

Records have shown that a number of ailments have begun reversing their effects when cord blood cells are transplanted to patients. Researchers have shown that cord blood stem cells offer diverse treatment strategies for treating over 70 diseases. But, that’s not all; researches are still being carried out in other diseases where re-growth of cells is mandatory for the patients’ recovery and bone marrow transplants are the mode of treatment.

Cord Blood Stem Cells – Building Blocks Of The Body

Researchers claimed that stem cells from babies’ umbilical cords resemble in hematopoietic feature what bone marrow cells contain. These stem cells have shown their capability of generating different types of cells of organs present in our body. Due to this versatility, uses of cord blood cell are prevalent in treatment of disorders that surface in various organs. However, records state that most of the recipients of cord blood stem cell transplants are ailing from blood disorders.

Cord blood cells are capable of forming all three red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This is the main reason why most of the malignant blood disorders such as childhood and adult leukemia, Thalassemia, Fanconi Anemia, lymphoma are treated by umbilical cord blood stem cell transplanting. Other equally life threatening diseases that have been successfully recovered with cord blood cells are severe spinal cord injuries, immune system disorders, some sight disorders, cardiac diseases like heart attacks, heart muscle disorders, Parkinson’s diseases and so on.

Who Are The Recipients Of Cord Blood Stem Cells?

Patients who put off bone marrow stem cell transplant due to the painful procedures involved are mostly the recipients of these umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants. Most of the cases of cord blood cell transplants have been carried out on children and young adults. One of the reasons for this is the cell quantity that is demanded tends to increase as the recipient happens to be larger. Most of the times, umbilical cord blood cells are not found in adequate portions to match the quantity required by an adult.

These stem cells are commonly termed as ‘naive’ cells as these are the most primitive cells of the body. Being so, they show greater adaptability to form any cells of the organ where tissue re-growth is needed. Therefore, these cells have less chance to be rejected by the recipient’s system.

People of minor racial and ethnic classes find fewer matches of cells in need. Hence, patients originating from these ethnic stocks and classes are highly encouraged to save their babies’ stem cells for their families’ future uses. Besides people born of racial minorities, parents of adopted children, and children born from in vitro fertilization should seriously consider cord blood stem cell banking as finding genetically matched cord blood cells for them is most difficult.

It makes sense to preserve your baby’s cord blood cells. These cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells can be stored in a cryogenic facility offering umbilical stem cell storage. These cells can save the life of your kid, her siblings and other family members because they are useful for treatment of many killer diseases. People of minor racial and ethnic stock must particularly consider preservation as it is not easy to find genetically matched cord blood cells for them. Visit costs of cord blood banking for more details regarding cost of cord blood banking and related issues.

Stem Cells The science the benefits the debate and the future

Stem Cells and Your Baby on the Way Reasons for Banking Your Baby’s Placenta and Cord Blood Stem Cells

Cord Blood Cells – Advantages of Extracting Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord

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