You’ve heard of stem cells. But what are they? Embryonic stem cells, Induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells? You might have even wondered if these types are useful for medicine. But while the research is still in its early stages, the debate is lively. Abu Dhabi stem cell guide aims to help you understand more about these remarkable cells. Regardless of your opinion, you’ll find that stem cells hold enormous promise for new medical treatments.
Embryonic stem cells:
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells that can develop into any type of human somatic cell. These cells are highly prized by researchers because they can be guided to differentiate into specialized body tissues. While the future of stem cells is still uncertain, there are many promising applications of these cells in medicine.
Induced pluripotent stem cells:
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are derived from the skin or blood of an adult human and are reprogrammed to become a seemingly endless source of human cells. These cells can then be prodded to become beta islet cells to treat diabetes and new blood that is free of cancer cells in patients with leukemia. They can even be used to create neurons to treat neurological disorders.
Adult stem cells:
Adult stem cells are a special kind of cells that exist in most tissues in the human body, although they do not generate a wide variety of different types. Traditionally, the adult stem cells found in bone marrow and fat were thought to produce blood cells and other similar cells. However, new evidence suggests that they are capable of generating different types of cells. The skin is a prime example. Humans regenerate new skin cells every day.
Parthenote stem cells:
A new research technique is developing a way to create human embryonic stem cells from parthenotes, which are derived from unfertilized human eggs. Parthenotes are embryos that lack a placenta and the male gamete genetic components. With enough biological material from ART centers and adequate culture media, scientists can create parthenogenetic human embryonic stem cell lines. In the process, parthenotes mimic a fertilized egg and develop into any body tissue type. This method has the added benefit of avoiding the ethical issues associated with fetal stem cells.
