Today everyone is talking about stem cells! Do we know what stem cells are?

The human body is made of about 37 trillion cells!  Most of the cells are specialized in performing a particular function, for example the red blood cells are carry oxygen to various organs, the skin cells help to heal the skin, etc. All these cells can do their own jobs well, but cannot carry out the jobs of other cells. However, stem cells are cells that have a unique ability of renewing themselves or differentiating into other cell.

There are two types of stem cells- the Embryonic stem cells and Adult stem cells. Embryonic cells are derived from embryos  created by fertilization of the egg with the sperm in the laboratory during the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF); these stem cells can convert into any type of tissue e.g. into a muscle cell, fat cell,  brain cell or any other cell. Adult stem cells are limited to self-renewal from the tissue they have originated from so that a stem cell from skin will grow only to a skin cell.

It is easy to culture embryonic cells compared to adult stem cells. On the other hand adult stem cells are less likely to undergo rejection after transfer as compared to the embryonic cells, as they are obtained from the patient’s own tissues. The sources of adult stem cells are bone marrow, adipose tissue, brain, teeth, etc.

Commonly used sources of stem cells today are the stem cells from the umbilical cord during the birth of the baby. This has emerged as an alternative source for stem cells and can be used in blood related disorders, especially if there is a sibling affected with Thalassemia Major.

Today,  the only stem cell–based treatments approved by the Food and Administration authority  (FDA) for use in patients  includes bone marrow transplant in cancer care, and cord blood for specific blood related disorders like thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and Leukemia (blood cancer).

Yet, stem cells have a huge potential, and numerous research studies are in progress so that this potential can be put into practical use in the field of medicine. The FDA has approved many research studies for stem cell based treatment which include repairing the heart muscle after a heart attack, repairing the brain tissue after a stroke, treating paralysis through repair of the spinal cord injuries, treating genetic disorders etc. 

Besides, stem cell therapy is associated with complications which include infections, anemia, rejection, cancer, liver damage and lung inflammation.  Therefore, inspite of these potential uses, there are obstacles which must be overcome before they are put into use practically. There are many scientific challenges which include obtaining the stem cells, expanding the number of these cells for clinical purposes, maintaining the genetic stability in these cells, maintaining their efficacy and preventing their rejection. These hindrances make the use of stem cells for practical clinical scenarios unsafe today.

Stem cell therapy definitely holds promise for an array of treatments in the future, but today we need to be careful before subjecting ourselves to any kind of stem cell therapy. Let’s not make ourselves guinea pigs for therapy which is not yet approved for clinical use. And if we wish to enter a research study of our own free will, let’s read the page carefully before we sign it!

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