Stem cells are needed in regenerative medicine. This is due to their critical role in the treatment of many complex diseases and injuries. This matter of stem cell research offers both so much promise, and so much controversy.
Stem cells are unique dells in the human body capable of changing into different types of cells, such as muscle cells, organ cells, as well as brain cells. There are two types of these cells, the embryonic stem cells, and adult stem cells. The embryonic stem cells come from unused human embryos, and are mostly used for research. The embryos shall be made through in vitro fertilization. You shall see them change into many different types of cells. Adult stem cells are more limited in transformation, and thus can only become one of two types. They are gotten from fully developed tissue, such as in bone marrow, skin and brain.
Seeing as stem cells can become other cells, stem cell therapy works to using them to replace ones damaged or dysfunctional. Here are cases in which this has been possible.
Damaged corneas have been repaired in this process before. Stem cells shall be harvested from the limbus, that area of the eye between the iris and sclera. They shall then be multiplied in the lab. After getting to a specific amount, they will be put back into the damaged eye, where they will help you get your sight back.
Skin replacement after a life-threatening burn is now possible. Skin stem cells will be harvested and used to make new sheets of skin which will go to cover the areas damaged by the burns. The research currently is focused on finding ways to make the new skin have its own hair, sweat glands, and oil glands.
Stem cells have also been used to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Should the brain cells or neurons of the dopamine-producing areas of the brain degenerate, the patients will go through tremors, slow movement, the rigidity of the limbs, balance and gait issues, alterations in their speech and writing. Stem cells shall be how you get new neurons in that region, to get the production of dopamine back on track.
Chemotherapy may be necessary for treating cancer, but it leaves you with destroyed stem cells. Once it is over, stem cells have to be reintroduced into your body. They will go to the bone marrow, to grow and develop into healthy blood cells.
There are more places stem cell therapy is needed, such as in handling the damage heart diseases come with. These examples point out the need to support stem cell research. You may learn more about the matter on this site.