What is Stem cell treatment

A stem cell is a type of cell not specialized to perform a specific role. Instead, it has the unique ability to develop into one of many different types of cell.

Stem cell therapy uses stem cells to replace dead and diseased cells within the body.

The human body contains over 200 different types of cell. Usually, each type has certain characteristics that allow it to perform a specific role.

Cells with similar roles group together to form tissues, which then organize to form the body’s organs. For example, the heart is a collection of muscle tissues.

Stem cells in therapy

In some tissues, stem cells play an essential role in regeneration, as they can divide easily to replace dead cells. 

Scientists believe that knowing how stem cells work may lead to possible treatments for conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

For instance, if someone’s heart contains damaged tissue, doctors might be able to stimulate healthy tissue to grow by transplanting laboratory-grown stem cells into the person’s heart. This could cause the heart tissue to renew itself.

Where do stem cells come from?

Researchers have discovered several sources of stem cells:

• Embryonic stem cells. These stem cells come from embryos that are three to five days old. At this stage, an embryo is called a blastocyst and has about 150 cells.
  These are pluripotent (ploo-RIP-uh-tunt) stem cells, meaning they can divide into more stem cells or can become any type of cell in the body. This versatility allows embryonic stem cells to be used to regenerate or repair diseased tissue and organs.
• Adult stem cells. These stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone marrow or fat. Compared with embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have a more limited ability to give rise to various cells of the body.
  Until recently, researchers thought that adult stem cells could create similar types of cells. For instance, researchers thought that stem cells residing in the bone marrow could give rise only to blood cells.
  However, emerging evidence suggests that adult stem cells may be able to create various types of cells. For instance, bone marrow stem cells may be able to create bone or heart muscle cells.

Why is there a controversy about using embryonic stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells are obtained from early-stage embryos — a group of cells that forms when a woman’s egg is fertilized with a man’s sperm in an in vitro fertilization clinic. Because human embryonic stem cells are extracted from human embryos, several questions and issues have been raised about the ethics of embryonic stem cell research.

The National Institutes of Health created guidelines for human stem cell research in 2009. The guidelines define embryonic stem cells and how they may be used in research and include recommendations for the donation of embryonic stem cells. Also, the guidelines state embryonic stem cells from embryos created by in vitro fertilization can be used only when the embryo is no longer needed.

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