STEM CELLS

The New HOPE...!

What are Stem Cells...?

Stem cells are the raw material from which all of the bodys mature, differentiated cells are formed. These have the ability to continuously divide and differentiate (develop) into various other kind(s) of cells/tissues

Why are Stem Cells So Popular These Days?

SELF RENEWABLE: a cell that has ability to continuously divide. PLURIPOTENT : ability to divide into several kinds of cells/tissues. REPAIR : ability to return function to damaged cells in a living organism.

On division, one daughter cell replenishes a whole compartment, and the other remains fully stem.

Kinds of Stem Cells...

Stem cell type Totipotent Description Each cell can develop into a new individual Examples Cells from early (1-3 days) embryos

Pluripotent

of Cells can form any (over 200) Some cells(5 to 14 blastocyst cell types days) Cells differentiated, but can form a number of other tissues Fetal tissue, cord blood, and adult stem cells

Multipotent

Where do Stem Cells arise from?

Stem cells are found at all stages of development, from embryonic stem (ES) cells that can differentiate into all specialized cells found in the human body, to adult stem cells capable of regenerating their tissue of origin.

Stages of Embryogenesis

Day 2 2-cell embryo

Day 1 Fertilized egg

Day 3-4 Multi-cell embryo

Day 11-14 Tissue Differentiation

Day 5-6 Blastocyst

Embryonic stem (ES) cells

ES cells are found at the Blastocyst stage, four to five days after the union of the sperm and egg, before the embryo implants in the uterus.

Derivation and Use of Embryonic Stem Cell Lines

Outer cells (forms placenta) Inner cells (forms fetus) Isolate inner cell mass (destroys embryo)

Culture cells

Day 5-6 Blastocyst

Special sauce (largely unknown) Liver

Heart repaired
Kidney Heart muscle

Placenta a Source of Stem Cells

Placental stem cells, like umbilical cord blood and bone marrow stem cells, can be used to cure chronic blood-related disorders such as sickle cell disease, Thalasemia, and leukaemia.

Sources of Stem Cells

Embryonic Adult Tissues

Adipose tissue (adipose stem cell, ASC) Bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cell, HSC) Bone marrow (mesenchymal stem cell, MSC) Liver (hepatic stem cell) Nervous tissue (neural stem cell, NSC) Pancreas

Adult stem cells typically generate the cell types of the tissue in which they reside. However, these can also be used to produce completely different type of cells.

Adult Mutipotent Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells

Steps Involved in development and obtain of stem cells

Source of Stem Cells for Experimentation and Research

Tens of thousands of frozen embryos are routinely destroyed when couples finish their treatment. These surplus embryos can be used to produce stem cells.

Drug Testing
Stem

cells could allow scientists to test new drugs using human cell line which could speed up new drug development. Only drugs that were safe and had beneficial effects in cell line testing would graduate to whole animal or human testing. It would allow quicker and safer development of new drugs.

Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as (typically) 77 K or 196 C (the boiling point of liquid nitrogen). At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped

Applications
Any disease in which there is tissue degeneration can be a potential candidate for stem cell therapies

Disease
Diabetes, Spinal cord injury, Parkinsons disease, heart disease,etc.

Genetic based Disease Cystic fibrosis, Huntingtons

Stem Cell Biology creates New Organs

For the first time researchers reconstitute a complete organ. New bladders were made by growing bladder cells from the patients on a biodegradable scaffolding. - Reported in the Lancet (April, 2006)

Stem Cell Biology is good

For the first time in 19 years, a Korean woman walks on her own after being treated with adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood. - Korean Times (11/26/04)

Australian Quadriplegic Thanks Maverick Indian Stem Cell Doctor for Ability to Breath

Perry Cross is the most high-profile patient to have travelled to India to be injected with the cells which are banned in his own country Australia and most of the West

Ethical debate

Harvesting ES cells destroys the blastocyst This is murder ES cell research requires human cells Could create a commercial market for human cells This devalues life

Reproduced by permission of Dave Catrow and Copley News Service

Destroying life to cure some one

Ethical ?

If stem cells have such potential to relieve suffering, why are so many people so upset about their use? The reason is that the most powerful type of stem cell i.e., embryonic stem (ES) cells can only be obtained from human embryos. Many people think that it's wrong to create and destroy human embryos to treat disease

Obstacles of Stem Cell Research

How

to find the right type of stem cells? How to put the stem cells into the right place? Will the stem cells perform the desired function in the body? Differentiation protocols for many cell types have not been developed.

Embryonic Stem Cells are Unstable and Mutate in Culture

Like ordinary cells, stem cells accumulate significant numbers of mutations over time, including several that could cause them to become tumors.

Challenges to Stem Cell/Cloning Research

Stem cells need to be differentiated to the appropriate cell type(s) before they can be used clinically.

Recently, abnormalities in chromosome number and structure were found in three human ESC lines.
Stem cell development and proliferation must be controlled in the patient after transplantation is done.

Research on Stem Cells is progressing in view of the challenges in this new therapy

On going research

1. Determining precisely how stem cells remain unspecialized and self renewing for many years 2. Identifying the signals that cause stem cells to become specialized cells 3. Basis for treating diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease 4. Cell-based therapies, for screening new drugs and toxins and understanding birth defects

Stem Cell Research Worldwide

Conclusions

There is enormous potential in human stem cell research Both adult and embryonic stem cells should be studied
Much research needed before therapies are realized Ethical concerns need to be taken into account

Current guidelines are not adequate

Additional guidelines are needed to ensure appropriate conduct of the research Adequate protection of donors from exploitation Sensible precautions against ill-considered experiments.

No duty is more urgent than that of returning THANKS

References,

Wikipedia

clearlyexplained.com
stemcellresearchnews.com

news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/

Chandra Teja U. K.V.S.R.S.C.O.P.S