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Published on Sunday, Apr 06, 2008
Q: Have embryonic stem cells been used to treat human disease?
A: No. In fact, embryonic stem-cell research has not yet moved beyond rodents. Embryonic stem cells have not been used in any human clinical trial in the United States.
Q: Have adult stem cells been used to treat human disease?
A: Yes. Stem cells harvested from bone marrow have been used to treat leukemia and other blood cancers for over three decades.
Q: Are adult stem cells showing promise in treating other diseases?
A: Yes, though most of the research is still in very early stages. Clinical trials in humans and animals have shown positive results in repairing damaged hearts, in developing insulin-producing cells for diabetes, in producing dopamine-producing cells in Parkinson's patients, in taming autoimmune disorders, in modifying genes to reduce side effects of chemotherapy and in regenerating bone, muscle, skin and organs. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been used to treat leukemia, other blood cancers and some blood disorders, like sickle cell anemia, while also showing promise in treating diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and cerebral palsy.
Q: So why not rely solely on adult stem cells for research and forget about embryonic stem cells?
A: Scientists believe that embryonic stem cells have a greater potential than adult stem cells because they more easily grow into any cell type. While adult stem cells can give rise to many different cell types, no adult stem cell has been found that can give rise to all cell and tissue types. Adult stem cells are present in small quantities, which makes them difficult to isolate and purify. And adult stem cells may contain more abnormalities, caused by sunlight, toxins and errors in making copies during the course of a lifetime. Still, one major drawback of embryonic stem cells is that scientists have been unable to control the type of tissue they form or how fast they grow. If stem-cell growth can't be controlled, it will result in a tumor.
SOURCES: The National Institutes of Health,
the National Center for Regenerative
Medicine
Q: Have embryonic stem cells been used to treat human disease?
A: No. In fact, embryonic stem-cell research has not yet moved beyond rodents. Embryonic stem cells have not been used in any human clinical trial in the United States.
Q: Have adult stem cells been used to treat human disease?
A: Yes. Stem cells harvested from bone marrow have been used to treat leukemia and other blood cancers for over three decades.
Q: Are adult stem cells showing promise in treating other diseases?
A: Yes, though most of the research is still in very early stages. Clinical trials in humans and animals have shown positive results in repairing damaged hearts, in developing insulin-producing cells for diabetes, in producing dopamine-producing cells in Parkinson's patients, in taming autoimmune disorders, in modifying genes to reduce side effects of chemotherapy and in regenerating bone, muscle, skin and organs. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been used to treat leukemia, other blood cancers and some blood disorders, like sickle cell anemia, while also showing promise in treating diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and cerebral palsy.
Q: So why not rely solely on adult stem cells for research and forget about embryonic stem cells?
A: Scientists believe that embryonic stem cells have a greater potential than adult stem cells because they more easily grow into any cell type. While adult stem cells can give rise to many different cell types, no adult stem cell has been found that can give rise to all cell and tissue types. Adult stem cells are present in small quantities, which makes them difficult to isolate and purify. And adult stem cells may contain more abnormalities, caused by sunlight, toxins and errors in making copies during the course of a lifetime. Still, one major drawback of embryonic stem cells is that scientists have been unable to control the type of tissue they form or how fast they grow. If stem-cell growth can't be controlled, it will result in a tumor.
SOURCES: The National Institutes of Health,
the National Center for Regenerative
Medicine
Get the full article here.
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