The Healing Potential of Stem Cells

THEHEAL I NG POTENTI ALOF STEM CEL L S St em cel l sar eunspec i al i z edc el l swi t har emar k abl ec apac i t yf ors el f r enewalandt he capac i t yt odevel opi nt ot hebody' st i ss ues pec i f i cc el l s .Thes ec el l sdi vi dewhent hebody hast or espondt oani nj ur y ,pr oduc i ngonedaught erc el landonepr ogeni t orcel l-an i nt er medi at ecommi t t edc el lt y pet hatf or msbef or ei tf ul l ydi f f er ent i at esi nt oaspec i f i ccel l t ype.

Thr eedi s t i nctqual i t i esofs t em c el l smaket hem es s ent i al f ort hebody ' snor mal agei ngand det er i or at i on.They c an dev el op i nt o any t i s s ues pec i f i cc el l s bec aus et hey ar e undi f f er ent i at edc el l si nt hef i r s tpl ac e.Sec ond,t heyhav eani nf i ni t el i f es panandt he capac i t yf orl engt hys el f r enewal ,whi c hhel pst omai nt ai nt hei rpopul at i onl evel s .Fi nal l y , t heyhav et hepowert os t i mul at et her el eas eofspec i f i chor monesandgr owt hf ac t or sat t hesi t eofi nj ur yt ospeedupt heheal i ngpr oc es s .

SOURCESOFSTEM CEL L S Adul tbodyt i ss uesandembr yosar et het womai ns our c esofs t em c el l s .Sc i ent i s t sar e al s oexper i ment i ngwi t hgenet i c" r epr ogr ammi ng"t ec hni quest oc r eat es t em c el l sf r om ot herc el l s.

However ,t hemai nf or m ofst em c el l sar e:

Adul tSt em cel l s: Adul ts t em c el l sar ec l as s i f i edi nt ot woc at egor i es .Onek i ndi sder i v ed f r om mat ur et i s s uess uc hast hebr ai n,s k i n,andbonemar r ow.Thes e t i s s uesc ont ai nj us tamodes tamountofs t em c el l s .Theyar emor e pr onet opr oduc eonl ys pec i f i ct y pesofc el l s .As t em c el lder i v edf r om t hes k i n,f orex ampl e,wi l l onl ypr oduc emor es k i nc el l s .

I nduc edpl ur i pot ents t em c el l sar et hes ec ondt y pe.Thes ear eadul t s t em c el l st hathav ebeengenet i c al l ymodi f i edt or es embl eembr y oni c s t em c el l s .

Embr yoni cSt em Cel l s: The embr y oni cs t em c el l s empl oy ed i nr es ear c h ar e der i v ed f r om di s c ar dedembr y os .Thes ear et her es ul t sofi nv i t r of er t i l i s at i on.They ar egi v ent os c i enc e.Thes epl ur i pot entembr y oni cs t em c el l si ndi c at e t heyc andi f f er ent i at ei nt omor et hanonet y peofc el l .

St em Cel l sasaRegener at i veMedi ci ne St em c el l smaybenef i ty ourheal t hi nav ar i et yofway sandt hr oughav ar i et yofnov elt r eat ment si nt he f ut ur e.St em c el l s ,ac c or di ngt or es ear c her s ,c anbeus edt ohel pdev el opnew t i s s ue.Forex ampl e, heal t hc ar epr ov i der smayonedaybeabl et ot r eatpat i ent swi t hper s i s t enthear tdi s eas e.Theyc an ac c ompl i s ht hi sbydev el opi ngheal t hyhear tmus c l ec el l si nt hel abandt r ans f er r i ngt hem i nt odamaged hear t s .Ot hermedi c i nesc oul dt ar gett y pe 1 di abet es ,s pi nalc or di nj ur y ,Al z hei mer ' sdi s eas e,and r heumat oi dar t hr i t i s .Newt r eat ment sc oul dpot ent i al l ybeev al uat edonpl ur i pot ents t em c el l der i v edc el l s .