Stem CellsMedical Imaging Technologies and Public Health Strategies to Prevent Disease

By: Kevin Nguyen

What is a Stem Cell?Undifferentiated cell that can

differentiate into a specialized cell

Two main types: Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells

Can be found in the skin, blood, neural tissue, liver, etc.

Adult Stem cell can divide infinitely

Embryonic Stem CellsPart of 4-5 day human embryo in

“blastocyst phase”Usually excess from IVF (in vitro

fertilization) clinic Eggs fertilized outside of womb in

test tubeOnly one placed back into

woman

Embryonic Stem Cells ContinuedFertilization begins as ZygoteZygote rapidly dividesAfter 4-6 days before being placed back

into woman the mass is called a “Blastocyst”

Blastocyst has inner mass and outer massOuter mass becomes Placenta, lining in

the uterus, inner mass is stem cellsThese cells are totipotent: cells with total

potential to become any cell in the body

Stem Cell CulturesOnce extracted, placed into

controlled cultureEnvironment prevents

specializing but still allows for cell division

Easier to produce embryonic stems cells than adult stem cells

Still in progress

Potency Different levels of potential to differentiate into

different cells: Totipotent - able to differentiate into any cell Pluripotent - able to differentiate into almost any

cell Multipotent - able to differentiate into closely

related cells Oligopotent - able to differentiate into a few

cells Unipotent - only able to produce cells of their

own type but have self - renewal property similar to a stem cell

Embryonic Stem cells are considered pluripotent

Organ and Tissue Regeneration

Presently, organs are donated and transplanted

Stem cells could potentially grow a particular organ or tissue in the future

Ongoing research

Using Stem Cells in Treatments

Cardiovascular Disease Treatment Brain Disease TreatmentCell Deficiency TreatmentBlood Disease TreatmentCertain types of cancerAuto - Immune DiseasesOcular Treatment ImmunodeficiencyWounds and InjuriesMetabolic DisordersLiver DiseaseBladder Disease

How Stem Cells Impact Science

Can help with understanding human development

Eventually differentiate because a particular gene is turned on or off

Researchers using stem cells to understand genes and mutations

Stems cells used to better understand cancer and birth defects

Develop new drugsTest on stem cells rather than human test

subjectsCould hold the key to treating severe conditions

such as Alzheimer's Disease

Stem Cell ControversyIt is believed that the stem cell is the

destruction of a human blastocystTaking away life of fertilized eggSeen as similar to abortionDebate as to when life beginsCompared to as murderSpeculation that those who support human

embryonic stem cell research seek human cloning (human cloning research does exist)

Ethical Dilemma in regards to whether human cloning should be done

Alternative Methods of collecting Stem CellsAvoids controversy of taking the

life of embryoPossible to obtain stem cells

from: fatty tissue, bone marrow, or umbilical cord after birth (taken from mother)

No harm done

ChimerasAn organism that has both

animal and human cells or tissueStem cell research often involves

testing human cells on animalsAllows for researcher to gather

data and results without potentially harming human test subjects

Some people think that makes the animals part human

Legal IssuesIllegal in certain countries such

as: Austria, France, Germany, Denmark, etc.

Permitted in certain countries such as: Finland, Greece, Netherlands, etc.

Not illegal in the United States but it is illegal to spend federal funding on stem cell research as of 2001

BibliographyCrosta, P. Medical News Today. 2013, July 19. What are Stem Cells? Retrieved October 17, 2013 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/stem_cell/

American Life League, Inc. (n.d.). Stem Cell Research. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from http://www.all.org/nav/index/heading/OQ/cat/MTkw/?gclid=COGJurXNqLoCFclDMgodbgUAbw

Prentice, D. 2004. “Adult Stem Cells” Appendix K in Monitoring Stem Cell Research: A Report of the President’s Council on Bioethics. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm

Clarke, M. F., & Becker, M. W. (2006). Stem Cells: The Real Culprits in Cancer? Scientific American. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from http://web.ebscohost.com/scirc/detail?sid=135fe603-9894-4493-8936-c36d5441c3fc%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=26&bdata=JnNpdGU9c2NpcmMtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=21114245

Hochedlinger, K. Science Reference Center, EBSCO host. YOUR INNER HEALERS. Scientific American. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from http://web.ebscohost.com/scirc/detail?vid=6&sid=3bafa4f7-b5f0-4b15-b80e-ecd4fc5657e0%40sessionmgr113&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9c2NpcmMtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=50574995