Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine
sweetpotato
Posts: 1,278
Isn't it time the American people get educated about the whole science behind stem cell research and its enormous potential, and stop whining over what's believed to be the "controversy" of embryonic stem cells?? This is to the future of medicine what fire was to, uh, CIVILIZATION. Wake up, people.
Stem Cells 101
So what’s all the hoopla about stem cells? Have the stem cell advocates gone loopy or are stem cells the next best thing since antibiotics in the lifesaving business?
First — the basics: Embryonic stems cells are controversial and right now they’re used purely for research. Adult stem cells are used in research and treatment, and they are not controversial. Cord blood cells arrived on the medical scene more recently and look promising without controversy — at least so far. Embryonic stem cells are “undifferentiated”— that’s their claim to fame — which means they’re not specialized but have the potential to differentiate, or specialize, into any of the more than 200 different cell types in the human body, and may help repair nerves, muscles, organs and other parts in dire need of fixing. Adult blood stem cells are the ones with a proven track record of medical “magic.”
A short review of their history reveals why there was no stem cell controversy 10 years ago. It isn’t that scientists didn’t know about them or work with them — they did — but it wasn’t until 1998 that first University of Wisconsin, then Johns Hopkins, researchers isolated human embryonic stem cells and so developed the first stem cell line in the lab. It’s the source of the cells — aborted fetuses and “extra” embryos from in vitro fertilizations — that ignited the firestorm.
The early history of adult stem cell experiments was also fraught with bumps and bruises. The first medical attempts to transplant bone marrow from one human to another — by mouth—failed miserably about 100 years ago. However,
experiments indicated that a bone marrow infusion from a healthy mouse into the bloodstream of an ailing mouse helped restore the sick critter’s health. But successfully translating that discovery to humans didn’t start to happen until years later, when, in 1958, the first human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was discovered. It is these proteins, says Arnold Rubin, MD, director of stem cell transplantation at RWJMS and CINJ, found on the surface of almost all human cells, which allow the body to distinguish self from non-self, and alert the immune system to foreign substances so it can go on the attack. These HLAs hugely complicate the transplant picture, according to Rubin. While identical twins are assured of success in a stem cell transplant, the first successful transplant between siblings who were not identical twins didn’t happen until 1968, and the first success with an unrelated donor occurred five years later.
The science of stem cell transplant continues to evolve with success in terms of added healthy years — and even cures — becoming far more frequent. Blood stem cell transplantation for such hematologic disorders as multiple myeloma, lymphoma and specific leukemias is clearly beneficial and no longer considered experimental. Insurance often covers these transplants, although not always. When a patient is turned down by his or her company, Rubin says their team fights for coverage on a case-by-case basis.
Complete article can be viewed at:http://www.umdnj.edu/umcweb/marketing_and_communications/publications/umdnj_magazine/spring2007/4.htm
Stem Cells 101
So what’s all the hoopla about stem cells? Have the stem cell advocates gone loopy or are stem cells the next best thing since antibiotics in the lifesaving business?
First — the basics: Embryonic stems cells are controversial and right now they’re used purely for research. Adult stem cells are used in research and treatment, and they are not controversial. Cord blood cells arrived on the medical scene more recently and look promising without controversy — at least so far. Embryonic stem cells are “undifferentiated”— that’s their claim to fame — which means they’re not specialized but have the potential to differentiate, or specialize, into any of the more than 200 different cell types in the human body, and may help repair nerves, muscles, organs and other parts in dire need of fixing. Adult blood stem cells are the ones with a proven track record of medical “magic.”
A short review of their history reveals why there was no stem cell controversy 10 years ago. It isn’t that scientists didn’t know about them or work with them — they did — but it wasn’t until 1998 that first University of Wisconsin, then Johns Hopkins, researchers isolated human embryonic stem cells and so developed the first stem cell line in the lab. It’s the source of the cells — aborted fetuses and “extra” embryos from in vitro fertilizations — that ignited the firestorm.
The early history of adult stem cell experiments was also fraught with bumps and bruises. The first medical attempts to transplant bone marrow from one human to another — by mouth—failed miserably about 100 years ago. However,
experiments indicated that a bone marrow infusion from a healthy mouse into the bloodstream of an ailing mouse helped restore the sick critter’s health. But successfully translating that discovery to humans didn’t start to happen until years later, when, in 1958, the first human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was discovered. It is these proteins, says Arnold Rubin, MD, director of stem cell transplantation at RWJMS and CINJ, found on the surface of almost all human cells, which allow the body to distinguish self from non-self, and alert the immune system to foreign substances so it can go on the attack. These HLAs hugely complicate the transplant picture, according to Rubin. While identical twins are assured of success in a stem cell transplant, the first successful transplant between siblings who were not identical twins didn’t happen until 1968, and the first success with an unrelated donor occurred five years later.
The science of stem cell transplant continues to evolve with success in terms of added healthy years — and even cures — becoming far more frequent. Blood stem cell transplantation for such hematologic disorders as multiple myeloma, lymphoma and specific leukemias is clearly beneficial and no longer considered experimental. Insurance often covers these transplants, although not always. When a patient is turned down by his or her company, Rubin says their team fights for coverage on a case-by-case basis.
Complete article can be viewed at:http://www.umdnj.edu/umcweb/marketing_and_communications/publications/umdnj_magazine/spring2007/4.htm
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"Obama's main opponent in this election on November 4th (was) not John McCain, it (was) ignorance."~Michael Moore
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"Obama's main opponent in this election on November 4th (was) not John McCain, it (was) ignorance."~Michael Moore
"i'm feeling kinda righteous right now. with my badass motherfuckin' ukulele!"
~ed, 8/7
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Comments
A truly liberal person is conservative when necessary.
Pro-life by choice.
There is indeed a lot of fascinating and promising work being done with adult stem cells, but they cannot replace embryonic cells. Both types of research are needed.
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Hold on to the thread
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