Stem Cells

Alex CartFrank Cummings

Alright so what are they?1

• Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types

• Able to reproduce themselves

• “Immortal”

• Basically, a blank canvas or pluripotent

2

Video!3

• http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/326?gclid=CJHosOa-_J8CFQdY2godthIRjw

And where do they come from?1

EmbryosAdults

Embryos1

• They are undifferentiated blastocysts–Four to five days old

• Super controversial• The baby hasn’t begun to form

yet

4

Adult Stem Cells1

• Brain• Bone marrow• Blood• Blood vessels• Skeletal muscles• Skin• Liver

• Don’t divide until activated by disease or injury

• There is debate on what they will differentiate into

Process•The stem cells are put in a

Petri dish atop a layer of “feeder cells” or cell cultures

•Depending on what the type of cell the feeder cell is, the stem cell will form into that cell

Controversy1

• When does “life” start?• Are chimeras ethical?• Researchers use mouse embryos to

create human stem cells– Not as controversial but still….

5

Current Treatments6

• Helps cancer patients• Skin grafts

– Like the baby we read about

Potential Treatments• Brain damage • Cancer • Spinal cord injury • Heart damage • Haematopoiesis (blood

cell formation) • Baldness • Missing teeth • Deafness• Blindness and vision

impairment • Amyotrophic lateral

sclerosis

• Graft vs. host disease and Crohn's disease

• Neural and behavioral birth defects

• Diabetes • Orthopedics • Wound healing • Infertility

Where else is it being done?7

• Australia• Canada• China• Most of Europe• Finland• Israel• Japan

• Singapore• United

Kingdom

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References1. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/stem_cell/whatarestemcel

ls.php

2. http://theblackcordelias.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/stem-cells.jpg

3. http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/326?gclid=CJHosOa-_J8CFQdY2godthIRjw

4. http://florenceblanchard.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/24stem6501.jpg

5. http://www.odec.ca/projects/2008/hess8s2/images/cell%20controversy.png

6. http://www.cellmedicine.com/?gclid=CJuX4ODv_p8CFeSL5wodlF4Hlw

7. http://stemcells.nih.gov/research/intlresearch.asp 8. http://www.mbbnet.umn.edu/scmap.html