2. CONTENTS
STEM CELL
CHARACTERISTICS OF STEM CELL
TYPES OF STEM CELLS
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
ADULT STEM CELLS
INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS
USES OF STEM CELLS
USE OF STEM CELL IN RESEARCH
STEM CELL THERAPY
ETHICAL ISSUES
FUTURE OF STEM CELLS
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3. STEM CELL
A stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into
specialized cell types in the body.
Stem cells are the foundation for every organ and tissue in our
body.
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4. CHARACTERISTICS OF STEM
CELL
Stem cells are distinguished from other
cell types by two important
characteristics.
1. They are unspecialized cells capable of
renewing themselves through cell
division.
2. Under certain physiologic or
experimental conditions, they can be
induced to become tissue- or organ-
specific cells with special functions.
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5. TYPES OF STEM CELLS
There are three main types of stem cell:
1. Embryonic stem cells
2. Adult stem cells
3. Induced pluripotent stem cells
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6. EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
Embryonic stem cells are obtained
from the inner cell mass of
the blastocyst.
These stem cells are said to be
pluripotent, which means they can
change into any cell in the body.
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7. ADULT STEM CELLS
These are also known as tissue specific stem cells.
Adult stem cells supply new cells as an organism grows and
to replace cells that get damaged.
These stem cells can generate different cell types for the
specific tissue or organ in which they live.
Adult stem cells are said to be multipotent, which means
they can only change into some cells in the body but not all.
For Example: Blood-forming (or hematopoietic) stem
cells in the bone marrow can give rise to red blood cells,
white blood cells and platelets. However, blood-forming stem
cells don’t generate liver or lung or brain cells.
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8. INDUCED
PLURIPOTENT
STEM CELLS
(iPSCs)
Induced pluripotent stem
(iPS) cells are cells that
have been engineered in
the lab by converting
tissue-specific cells, such
as skin cells, into cells that
behave like embryonic
stem cells.
Just like embryonic stem
cells, they are pluripotent
so they can develop into
any cell type.
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9. USES OF STEM CELLS
Research
To help us understand the basic biology of how living things work and
what happens in different types of cell during disease.
Therapy
To replace lost or damaged cells that our bodies can’t replace
naturally.
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10. USE OF STEM CELL IN RESEARCH
Stem cells can be used to study
development.
Stem cells have the ability to replace
damaged cells and treat disease.
Stem cells could be used to study
disease.
Stem cells could provide a resource
for testing new medical treatments.
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11. STEM CELL THERAPY
It is the usage of
stem cells in the
treatment or
prevention of a
disease or
condition.
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14. ETHICAL ISSUES
Extraction of human embryonic stem cells results in
destruction of a human blastocyst. It is often argued that
the embryo deserves the same status as any other full grown
human. Therefore, destroying it (removing the blastocyst to
extract stem cells) is a kin to murder.
Creation of chimeras is also an ethical issue because in
stem cell research, human stem cells are inserted into
animals and allowed to develop so that researchers can see
what happens when stem cells are implanted.
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15. FUTURE OF STEM CELLS
Stem cells pose a bright future for the therapeutic world by
promising treatment options for the diseases which are
considered as non curable now a days.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (study disease
mechanism, drug discovery, personalized medicine.
Regenerative Medicines.
Organ transplantation.
Therapeutic applications (Parkinson's disease,
Alzheimer's disease, Diabetes).
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