Everything you need to know about stem cells

Everything you need to know about stem cells

Stem cells are big news in medicine right nowNot a day goes by when there aren't articles or something on the Web about it

As you get older, you're bound to hear more and more about stem cells

Why stem cells??

James Till & Ernest McCullock

What do they have in common?

Robert Edwards

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What do you know about stem cells??What is a stem cell?

Where do stem cells come from?

What can stem cells be used for?

What do you know about stem cells??What is the meaning of STEM?1

ONE Stem CellONE Stem Cell

Neural CellsNeural Cells

Muscle CellsMuscle Cells

Blood CellsBlood Cells

1-Can you name some organs where you can find stem cells in your body?2- What are they need for?3- How often does your blood regenerate?4- How often does your skin regenerate?5- How often does your intestine regenerate?

Little bit of Stem Cells BIO

Two types of stem cells

Multipotent stem cells Pluripotent stem cell

Adult stem cell Embryonic stem cell

1- What is the closest type of stem cells that resembles ESC and can be found in newborn babies?2- What can they be used for

Adult Stem Cells1 Fundamental for organ regeneration after injury

Limitations Limited ability to proliferate

Limited plasticity (ability to trans differentiate)

Difficult to harvest (we don't have that many)

Hard to maintain in culture without them losing their stemness (ie once outside their niche they quickly differentiate)

Cannot treat all type of diseases

Some type of stem cells can be used to treat diseases

Most studied (we know more about how they function)

No ethical issues

Driven from embryos

Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs)2Can make up an entire organism Unlimited ability to proliferate ( you can get millions of ESCs from 16 initial cells)

Maximum degree of plasticity

hESC research is allowed only with discarded IVFembryos

They are considered the true stem cells

Its illegal to sell eggs or create embryos for research purposesResearch on ESCs allows scientists to understand what are the genes that maintain a cell in a stemness condition

Limitations They can easily give rise to teratomasFewer clinical trialsNot well known/studiedEthical issues related with embryo manipulation

Adult VS. Embryonic Stem Cells?

Is the question?

Adult Stem Cells

1

Embryonic Stem Cells2

Although these cells meet the defining criteria for pluripotent stem cells, it is not known if iPSCs and embryonic stem cells differ in clinically significant ways. Mouse iPSCs were first reported in 2006, and human iPSCs were first reported in late 2007.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS)

Adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell–like state

And now it’s turn….YOUR

•WHOM WILL STEM CELL REASEARCH HELP?

•DOES IT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HURT ANYONE?

•WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME, MY FAMILY, FOR OTHER ARUOND ME?

•HOW FAR SHOULD RESEARCHERS TAKE STEM CELL TECHNOLOGIES? IN OTHER WORDS, JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DO SOMETHING SHOULD WE? WHY OR WHY NOT?

•SHOULD THERE BE LAWS TO REGULATE STEM CELLS RESEARCH? IF SO, WHAT WOULD THEY LOOK LIKE?

•DO EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS REPRESENT A HUMAN LIFE? WHO HAS THE AUHTORITY TO DECIDE?

•WHAT IS THE IMPACT THAT MEDIA HAVE IN THE STEM CELLS DEBATE? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW IMPORTANT IS TO OBTAIN THE RIGHT INFORMATION FROM THE RIGHT SOURCE? Is it easy to find info about stem cells? is the info confusing or hard to understand?

Leading Questions!?

When: March 22nd 2012 from 8:30am to 3:00pm Where: Tabaret Hall, OttawaU main campusHow: Registration is mandatory. Closing date: December 22, 2011

For info/inquiries: stemcelltalksottawa@gmail.comRegistration form available at: www.stemcelltalksottawa.ca

StemCellTalks Ottawa 2012

Awesome reading- Stem Cells for Dummies

www.stemcellnetwork.ca

www.stemcellcharter.org

www.stemcellfoundation.ca

More about stem cells!!

Thank You

What is the goal of stem Cell research??

Dr. Freda Miller

One of many stem cell scientists with a dream

Dr. Bartha has something to share !

“ I think of bioethics as a neutral territory where people with different views come together for

a FREE and OPEN discussion”