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Educator: Jenna

STEM CELL RESEARCH

What are Stem cells? What classes of Stem cells are there? Where do stem cells come from? Why is there controversy surrounding

embryonic stem cells? Why do scientists want to use them? Are there any risks to using stem cells?

Frequently Asked Questions

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Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into some or many different cells inside the body, depending whether they are multipotent or pluripotent. They serve as kind of a repair system for the body, they can divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is alive. When the stem cells divide the daughter cells of the stem cell have the potential to either remain a stem cell or form into another type of cell with a specific function. I.e. muscle cells, red blood cells, brain cells, nerve cells, lung cells etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPulEAryPO0&feature=related

What are stem cells?

Stem cells can be pluripotent or multipotent Pluripotent stem cells can give rise to any type of cell

in the body except those needed to support and develop a fetus in the womb

Multipotent stem cells can only give rise to a small number of different cell types.

Classes of Stem cells?

Pluripotent stem cells can be removed from human embryos that are a few days old. Cells from these embryos can be used to create pluripotent stem cell “lines” – cell cultures can be grown in the laboratory once removed.

Non-embryonic (including adult and umbilical cord blood) stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues. Typically there is a very small number of multipotent stem cells in each tissue.

Where do stem cells come from??

There are multiple sources of stem cells

The only known way to get embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of an unplanted blastocyst at the 6th-8th stage of development. Some people oppose this research because they consider the blastocyst to be equivalent to a human.

A Blastocyst is formed when the fertilized egg, or zygote, divides and forms two cells and continues splitting until it becomes a hallow ball of about 150 cells. The blastocyst contains two types of cells – the trophoblastic, and the inner cell mass. The inner cell mass is what contains the pluripotent stem cells.

Controversy surrounding embryonic Stem cells

Adult stem cells are most commonly taken from bone marrow.Stem cells are also found in differentiated tissues and

organs through out the body. They have not been identified in all tissues and organs, but they can be isolated from samples of the tissue. Generally these stem cells have restricted development potential in that there capacity for proliferation is limited and the can only give rise to a few cell types. Embryonic stem cells are taken from the Blastocyst and blood

from the umbilical cord of a newborn.

Adult vs. Embryonic stem Cells

Scientists are hopeful that in the future a wide range of diseases and traumatic injuries will be cured.

Most recently induced Pluripotent Stem Cells have been developed (iPSC) they are created using a technique where a developed cell is modified to have properties similar to those of an embryonic stem cell. These cells have the potential for us to stop harvesting embryonic cells.

Why do scientists want to use them?

There is also bad things about stem cells. The risks to participants undergoing stem cell research include the formation of Tumors, inappropriate stem cell migration, immune system rejection of transplanted stem cells, and hemorrhage during neurosurgery.

What Are The Risks?

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Stem Cell Research Scientist Portion

By Becky

Brief Overview

Stem cells are found in many places. They are found in unfertilized eggs from

females and umbilical cords that connect babies to their mother’s.

They are also found in bone marrow. They are then extracted from these

various parts to be used to help replace other cells in the human body.

How It Works

It can be injected into the heart, liver, and brain.

Stems cell can become any cell that is needed in the surrounding area where the stem cells is injected.

It will then reproduce the cells needed to rebuild that area.

For example, if you inject the stem cells into the human heart, the heart will rebuild its cells and get stronger and be able to function more properly.

How It Works

It helps to rebuild different parts of the body.

To get injected into the body, the area is numbed so the patient cannot feel the needle being injected.

They then inject the stem cells into the area.

How IT Works

Usually it is just a one-time treatment, but serious cases might need to perform more than one treatment.

Stem cells can reproduce themselves easily, making it the ideal cell to inject into areas of the body that require repair.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/cellular-microscopic/stem-cell.htm

Still A Wonder

Although scientist know how to extract and grow stem cells, they still do not know how they change into different organs in the human body.

Stem cell research is still growing rapidly. It even has scientist puzzled about its capability.

More is learned ever day about stem cell research everyday.

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Stem Cell Research Pros and Cons

By: Melanie

Pros of Stem Cells.. Stem Cell Research is said to help treat a

range of medical problems people are facing right now.

It could lead us closer to better treatment and possibly cure of many diseases, such as:

Parkinson’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease Heart Diseases, Stroke and Diabetes (Type 1) Birth Defects Spinal Cord Injuries Replace or Repair Damaged Organs. Reduced Risk of transplantation Stem Cells could possibly even help to play a role

in the fight against cancer.

Pros…

By helping cure what seem like little a disease, that makes a big deference in people’s everyday life, if we gain enough knowledge from this, maybe someday we will be able to be cured from any disease out there.

With practice comes knowledge, and the more we know, the more we will try new things, which will lead us to new discoveries..

Contrast…

The pros of the research seem high, but are doctors sure that it will just help, or will it hurt in another way..

The scientist and doctors say it could possibly cure many diseases, but at what cost.

They could be creating another, incurable, or even unknown disease, by using the stem cell research to stop one known disease.

Cons of Stem Cell Research…

Some people feel that scientists are trying to “play God”

They feel that trying to fix something, that they didn’t create is messing with the human way of life.

Some even say, that with the knowledge we are gaining from the stem cell research, that soon in the future we will be able to clone humans as well.

Cons…

How do Scientists or Doctors know that what they are doing, won’t hurt the patience more than expected, something that doesn’t happen right away, but in the future..

The thought of preforming stem cell research on a fetus, seems cruel and unlawful..

Plus the cost, the US is in big enough debt now, should we really be adding more cost to that?..

Stem Cell Research Pros and Cons..

The on going fight over the stem cell research is proving that each side is right in some ways, but neither is right about the whole thing.

Each side is providing good points, which should be heard and understood.

The government, and society need to hear both sides before making a finial decision on whether stem cell research should be allowed to be preformed..

{Lawyer: Brooke

Stem Cell Research

On April 29, 2011, a panel of judges from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a lower court decision that blocked public spending on stem cell research. The now defunct ruling stated that federal funds could not be used in research involving human embryos.

The most recent ruling is a critical development for federally funded scientists conducting stem cell research and was a major victory for patient and advocacy groups. This case highlights the importance and need for comprehensive and unambiguous legislation that protects stem cell research.

Congress twice passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act with strong bipartisan support and both times President Bush vetoed the bill. President Barack Obama lifted the restrictions on federal funding for ESCR on March 9, 2009 by an Executive Order. Research America issued a statement commending this action.

Under the policy, federal agencies, primarily NIH, will consider applications for funding if certain standards or eligibility criteria are met. The Whit House fact sheet setting forth the President’s policy states: federal funds will only be used for research on existing stem cell lines that were derived……

1. With the informed consent of the donors2. From excess embryos created solely for reproductive purposes3. Without any financial inducements to the donors

This all was created and put into order by President Bush.

President Bush put a restriction on stem cell research in embryo's but President Obama took the restriction off.

Using stem cell research on embryo’s kills the babies but if they use it on adults it does not do anything.