jueves, 16 de septiembre de 2010

DOES STEM CELLS HAVE POTENTIAL TO HURT ANYONE?-ETHICAL POSITION

DOES STEM CELLS HAVE POTENTIAL TO HURT ANYONE?-ETHICAL POSITION


Generally we can said that stem cell does not hurt anyone,instead this system help to cure serious ilnesses, but analysing human embryonic stem cells—we can said that the have generated much interest and public debate. Pluripotent stem cells are isolated from human embryos that are a few days old. Pluripotent stem cell lines have also been developed from fetal tissue, so if we take into account the ethical possition of it ; it can be overview and hight light the potential of human cloning and whether these embryos, or pre-embryos as some refer to them, are human life.


Most of the ethical issues related to stem cells involves the debate over when life begins. Some say that life begins at conception and that the use of humans, for research purposes is unethical. Others claim that the embryos are only tiny amounts of undifferentiated tissue and since they are already scheduled for destruction, and have great potential benefit, they should be used to potentially help others.


In our opinion stems cells can be uses to save many lifes but we are totally againts the use on ebryotic cells for it. For us an embryo is already life because is inside a womb and since the sperm fertilize the egg it starts the maturing procces of it making the embryo alife ,so is imperative to usea stem cells for saving lifes but not usinf other lifes will not be fair to take out the chance to start living for giving thins opportunity to someone who already had the opportunity to live. 



STEM CELLS BENEFITS



STEM CELLS BENEFITS 
Stem cells Therapies will alow dcotors to understand and correct the errors that cause serious medical conditions . Stem cells are the ones that make cells and tissues for medical therapies. Today, donated organs and tissues are often used to replace those that are diseased or destroyed, unfortunately, there are not so much donants for transplantation. Pluripotent stem cells offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat a myriad of diseases, conditions, and disabilities including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury, burns, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. By the way adult stem cells will bring benefits to patients with Cancers, Auto -Immune Diseases,CardiovascularNeural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries and so much more, for more specific info visit the next link http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm

Biotechnology companies have begin developing stem cell-based human therapies. In July, 2010, the FDA notified the biotechnology company Geron that they could begin enrolling patients in the first clinical trial of a Human Embrionic Stem Cells (hESC) -derived therapy. This has been designed to test the safety of using stem cells to achieve restoration of spinal cord function: Because is to risky to manipulated the affected part in an open way.

RISKS OF STEM CELL THERAPIES



STEM CELLS



  • Early failure of the transplant occurs once in four surgeries and has to be repeated. Some  transplants never work, some succumb to infection, and some suffer immune rejection. Primary failure is apparent within one or two days. Infections happen in half the patients and often appear during the first week. Rejection usually starts at the end of the first week. The surgery itself may need revision because of narrowing, leaking, or blood clots at the connections.






  • Other complications during the implantation of stem cell :Stem cell (graft) failure, Organ damage, Cataracts, Secondary cancers, Death
  • Graft-versus-host disease:  when stem cells come from donors :It  occur when a donor's transplanted stem cells attack your body. Graft-versus-host disease can be mild or severe. It can occur soon after your transplant or months to years later.

THERAPEUTIC USES OF STEM CELLS


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj7ejgEHdPc

Therapeutic uses of stem cells:

The activity explains what stem cells are and how they're produced, and provides details on their existing or potential therapeutic role in diseases related to the pancreas, liver, lungs, and bone marrow.

cells and tissues help on: 


Replacement: Certain diseases such as Parkinson's or Type I diabetes are caused by progressive degeneration of one or a few cell types. 


Repair: By isolating stem cells in a laboratory, scientists theoretically could grow new heart cells to repair damage from heart attacks, new liver cells to treat hepatitis, and cells for cancer patients after ablative radiotherapy.


Regeneration and rejuvenation: interacting with orf¡ganisms that are not implatates regenerate the surrounding tissues. They might thus be used to renew biological functions, such as the immune system, or act trophically to support and rejuvenate host cells. This has been demonstrated in mouse models of stroke and Parkinson's disease.



Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. It is generally thought that adult stem cells are limited in their ability to differentiate based on their tissue of origin, but there is some evidence to suggest that they can differentiate to become other cell types.



Stem cell therapy rests on the fundamental principle that cell phenotype is a conbination of two elements: the starting cell population and the environment in which the cells are placed. It is this combination that must be characterised to derive effective cell therapy.

miércoles, 15 de septiembre de 2010

CHARACTERISTICS



CHARACTERISTICS:
All stem cells had to main three characteristics.


1. they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods:
Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells—which do not normally replicate themselves—stem cells may replicate many times, or proliferate.
2. they are unspecialized: One of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures that allow it to perform specialized functions.
3. they can give rise to specialized cell types: When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, the process is called differentiation . While differentiating, the cell usually goes through several stages, becoming more specialized at each step.




CAPACITY TO DIVIDE OF STEM CELLS

TIPES:
Totipotent: Can became in any cell type
Pluripotent: Can became any type of cell except  embryonic membrain
Multipotent: Can became a number of different cell type
Unipotent: Can only became one cell type
Nullipotent: Cannot divide(red blood cells)

martes, 7 de septiembre de 2010

WHAT ARE THE STEM CELLS?

STEAM CELLS

STEM CELLS: Are cells found in multi-cellular organisms, they are characterized to renew themselves, into mitotic cell division, and differentiate into a diverse range of different type of cells. They can develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They can be used as a repair system, because stem cells divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to become a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function.