Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Pros And Cons in Research The debate of the pros and cons of stem cell research clearly illustrate the difficult ethics evaluations researchers sometimes must do. Don't miss these related articles: All scientists must consider whether the positive effects from their research are likely to be significantly higher than the negative effects. Stem Cells are crucial to develop organisms. They are nonspecialized cells which have the potential to create other types of specific cells, such as blood-, brain-, tissue- or muscle-cells. Stem cells are in all of our body and lives, but are far more potent in a fetus (also spelled foetus, ftus, faetus, or ftus) than in an adult body. Some types of stem cells may be able to create all other cells in the body. Others have the potential to repair or replace damaged tissue or cells. Embryonic Stem Cells are developed from a female egg after it is fertilized by sperm. The process takes 4-5 days. Stem cell research is used for investigation of basic cells which develop organisms. The cells are grown in laboratories where tests are carried out to investigate fundamental properties of the cells. There are stem cells in the both placenta and blood … Continue reading →

Stem cell laws and policy in the United States have had a complicated legal and political history. Stem cells are cells found in all multi-cellular organisms. They were isolated in mice in 1981, and in humans in 1998.[1] In humans there are many types of stem cells, each with varying levels of potency. Potency is a measure of a cell's differentiation potential, or the number of other cell types that can be made from that stem cell. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst. These stem cells can differentiate into all other cells in the human body and are the subject of much scientific research. However, since they must be derived from early human embryos their production and use in research has been a hotly debated topic as the emt introduce new cells into adult bodies for possible treatment of cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and other medical conditions. Stem cells have been used to repair tissue damaged by disease or age.[2] Cloning also might be done with stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells can also be derived from Somatic cell nuclear transfer which is a laboratory technique where a clone embryo is … Continue reading →

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells or ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo.[1][2] Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 45 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50150 cells. Isolating the embryoblast, or inner cell mass (ICM) results in destruction of the blastocyst, a process which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage should have the same moral considerations as embryos in the post-implantation stage of development.[3][4] Researchers are currently focusing heavily on the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells, with clinical use being the goal for many labs.[5] Potential uses include the treatment of diabetes and heart disease.[5] The cells are being studied to be used as clinical therapies, models of genetic disorders, and cellular/DNA repair. However, adverse effects in the research and clinical processes such as tumours and unwanted immune responses have also been reported.[6] Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), derived from the blastocyst stage of early mammalian embryos, are distinguished by their ability to differentiate into any cell type and by their ability to propagate. It is these traits that makes them valuable in the scientific/medical fields. ESC are also … Continue reading →

Stem cells have tremendous promise to help us understand and treat a range of diseases, injuries and other health-related conditions. Their potential is evident in the use of blood stem cells to treat diseases of the blood, a therapy that has saved the lives of thousands of children with leukemia; and can be seen in the use of stem cells for tissue grafts to treat diseases or injury to the bone, skin and surface of the eye. Important clinical trials involving stem cells are underway for many other conditions and researchers continue to explore new avenues using stem cells in medicine. There is still a lot to learn about stem cells, however, and their current applications as treatments are sometimes exaggerated by the media and other parties who do not fully understand the science and current limitations, and also by clinics looking to capitalize on the hype by selling treatments to chronically ill or seriously injured patients. The information on this page is intended to help you understand both the potential and the limitations of stem cells at this point in time, and to help you spot some of the misinformation that is widely circulated by clinics offering unproven treatments. … Continue reading →

Regulations and policies change frequently to keep up with the pace of research, as well as to reflect the views of different political parties. Here President Obama signs an executive order on stem cells, reversing some limits on federal research funding. (White House photo by Chuck Kennedy) Governments around the globe have passed legislation to regulate stem cell research. In the United States, laws prohibit the creation of embryos for research purposes. Scientists instead receive "leftover" embryos from fertility clinics with consent from donors. Most people agree that these guidelines are appropriate. Disagreements surface, however, when political parties debate about how to fund stem cell research. The federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to biomedical research. But should taxpayer dollars be used to fund embryo and stem cell research when some believe it to be unethical? Legislators have had the unique challenge of encouraging advances in science and medicine while preserving a respect for life. U.S. President Bush, for example, limited federal funding to a study of 70 or so hES cell lines back in 2001. While this did slow the destruction of human embryos, many believe the restrictions set back the progress of stem cell research. President … Continue reading →

PUBMED NLM ID: 101586297 | Index Copernicus Value: 84.95 The Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is an open access journal that showcases seminal research in the field of stem cell therapy. As stem-cells are flag-bearers of translational research, the field has an interdisciplinary feel by including oncology, clinical research, medicine and healthcare under the aegis of stem-cell therapy. It also includes scientific research related to the auxiliary areas of Biology by prioritizing scholarly communication milieu and transfers expert knowledge synthesized from the ever burgeoning stem-cell literature. In order to create such impactful content, the Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy brings together an expert Editorial Board, which comprises of noted scholars in the field of Cell Biology. Every single article is subjected to rigorous peer review by illustrious scientists. In addition to Research Articles, the Journal also publishes high quality Commentaries, Reviews, and Perspectives aimed at synthesizing the latest developments in the field, and putting forward new theories in order to provoke debates amongst the scholars in the field. The journal thus maintains the highest standards in terms of quality and comprehensive in its approach.The journal aims to provide the authors with an efficient and courteous editorial … Continue reading →

Learn the answers to questions like ..."Who is benefitting from stem cell research and therapies today?" and "What types of stem cells are working?" In addition, basic questions such as "What is a stem cell?""Why do we need stem cell research?" are answered. The video patient profiles featured on this site emphasize ADULT stem cell advances with the goal of informing and the hope of inspiring you to take action. These stories represent a small sampling of people and the many diseases and conditions now being treated by adult stem cells naturally found in the human body. Stem Cell Research Facts illustrates how current adult treatments and therapies directly impact the lives of patients and their families today - as opposed to debating the merits of other types of stem cell research. We invite you to discover, learn and share the incredible possibilities of stem cell research. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to return for the latest developments in the world of stem cell research. Thank you! Go here to read the rest: Stem Cell Research Facts - Official Site … Continue reading →

Page Summary: Embryonic stem research cannot take place apart from dead human embryos. Embryonic stem cells cannot be culled without killing the embryo. Whether these tiny human beings are explicitly killed for research purposes or not, the ethics of the matter do not change. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) tells us this about stem cells: Because stem cells can differentiate into specialized cell types, they have the potential to replace or repair damaged tissue, be used for organ transplants and treat all sorts of diseases. Much research is left to be done, but the use of stem cells could potentially cure diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal chord injuries, heart conditions, and more. Before going further, it must be emphasized that there are different types of stem cells, which carry vastly different ethical implications. Until recently, researchers worked with two kinds of stem cells: embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are the undifferentiated cells from which all our body parts, organs, tissues, etc. originally developed. These cells are obtained by transferring the inner cell mass of the embryo into a culture dish, but can only be done by killing the embryo. This is what … Continue reading →

Stem cells possess the unique ability to differentiate into many distinct cell types in the body, including brain cells, but they also retain the ability to produce more stem cells, a process termed self-renewal. There are multiple types of stem cell, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and adult or somatic stem cells. While various types of stem cells share similar properties there are differences as well. For example, ES cells and iPS cells are able to differentiate into any type of cell, whereas adult stem cells are more restricted in their potential. The promise of all stem cells for use in future therapies is exciting, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research. NINDS supports a diverse array of research on stem cells, from studies of the basic biology of stem cells in the developing and adult mammalian brain, to studies focusing on nervous system disorders such as ALS or spinal cord injury. Other examples of NINDS funded research include using iPS cells to derive dopamine-producing neurons that might alleviate symptoms in patients with Parkinsons disease, and using ES cells to generate cerebral organoids to model Zika … Continue reading →

Regulations and policies change frequently to keep up with the pace of research, as well as to reflect the views of different political parties. Here President Obama signs an executive order on stem cells, reversing some limits on federal research funding. (White House photo by Chuck Kennedy) Governments around the globe have passed legislation to regulate stem cell research. In the United States, laws prohibit the creation of embryos for research purposes. Scientists instead receive "leftover" embryos from fertility clinics with consent from donors. Most people agree that these guidelines are appropriate. Disagreements surface, however, when political parties debate about how to fund stem cell research. The federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to biomedical research. But should taxpayer dollars be used to fund embryo and stem cell research when some believe it to be unethical? Legislators have had the unique challenge of encouraging advances in science and medicine while preserving a respect for life. U.S. President Bush, for example, limited federal funding to a study of 70 or so hES cell lines back in 2001. While this did slow the destruction of human embryos, many believe the restrictions set back the progress of stem cell research. President … Continue reading →