Having Trouble Understanding A Stem Cell Article?Understanding what stem cells are and how they're used is somewhat confusing for the average person. You'll often come across a stem cell article in a magazine or newspaper that makes the subject about as clear as mud. You may be left wondering just what stem cells are and why scientists are so interested in them. When it comes right down to it, stem cells are important because these cells can form into any sort of cell in the human body. Okay, not all stem cells are that talented, and sure, scientists need to figure out exactly how to coax some of those cells into becoming specific types of cells. But stem cells have this potential, which is why the scientific community is so interested in these cells.
Think of the possibilities. You could cure many illnesses, repair damaged tissue, and in theory, clone human organs. At the moment, it's impossible to drop a few stem cells in a Petri dish and create a human kidney, for example. But someday, it actually could happen. If this technology could be realized, people who are dying waiting for organ transplants could be saved. Those days, though, are in the distant future. At the moment, scientists are working hard to learn as much about stem cells as they can. Does that mean that stem cells currently aren't used to fight diseases? No. Stems cells are routinely used to combat certain diseases and have been used for decades. For instance, bone marrow stem cell transplants are routinely used. These transplants are used to treat certain blood disorders, some types of cancer, and leukemia. How do bone marrow stem cells fight a disease such as leukemia? Well, white blood cells are created in the bone marrow. When these white blood cells, called leukocytes, don't grow or work properly, the result is leukemia. To try to eliminate these cancerous, abnormal leukocytes, physicians kill the cancerous cells in the patient. If necessary, they then perform a bone marrow transplant to replace the cells that were killed. In this transplant, they find a healthy donor who is a match. Next, they introduce healthy donor stem cells into the bloodstream of the patient. Bone marrow transplants are only one use for stem cells. As more research is performed, more uses are discovered every day. In theory, once scientists learn how to cause stem cells to become specialized cells, then many potential uses for stem cells will exist. Some of the diseases scientists and doctors hope stem cells can help treat include Alzheimer's, cancer, injuries to the spinal cord, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's disease, among others. Stem cell technology also may be able to help patients who have experienced damage to tissue and organs. If scientists can develop the technology to create or repair needed tissue and organs, many lives could be saved. |