Stem
cells are the body's raw materials —
cells from which all other
cells with specialized functions are generated. Under the proper conditions within the body or a laboratory,
stem cells divide to make more
cells called daughter cells. These daughter
cells either become new
stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized
cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, like blood cells,
brain cells, cardiac muscle
cells or bone cells. No other cell within the body has the aptitude to get new cell types. becoming specific
cells which will be wont to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissues in people. People who might benefit from
stem cell therapies include those with
spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, burns,
cancer and osteoarthritis. Stem
cells may have the potential to be grown to become new tissue to be used in transplant and regenerative medicine. Researchers still advance the knowledge on
stem cells and their applications in transplant and regenerative medicine. Before using investigational
drugs in people, researchers can use some sorts of
stem cells to check the
drugs for safety and quality. This type of testing will presumably first have an immediate impact on
drug development first for cardiac toxicity testing. New areas of study include the effectiveness of using human
stem cells that are programmed into tissue-specific
cells to check new drugs. For the testing of new
drugs to be accurate, the
cells must be programmed to acquire properties of the type of
cells targeted by the drug. Techniques to program
cells into specific
cells still be studied. For instance, nerve
cells might be generated to check a replacement drug for a nerve disease. Tests could show whether the new drug had any effect on the
cells and whether the
cells were harmed.
Relevant Topics in General Science
