Stem cells are body cells that are able to become new stem cells (self-renewal) or specialized cells that perform specific functions (differentiation).
Stem cells are being researched in a number of potential roles in medicine:
- As therapy either to replace cell lines that have been lost or destroyed, or to modify the behavior of other cells
- As targets of drug therapy
- To generate specialized cells that perform specific functions (differentiated tissue) for in vitro study of disease models for drug development
There are different types of stem cells:
- Embryonic stem cells
- Originate from an in vitro fertilization procedure from unused embryos that were donated to science
- Embryonic stem cells can turn into more than one type of cell (considered “pluripotent”)
- When stem cells are obtained from living human embryos, the harvesting of these cells requires destruction of the embryos, which is controversial in the U.S.
- Adult stem cells (“non-embryonic” stem cells)
- There are two types
- One type comes from fully developed tissues such as the brain, skin, and bone marrow
- These types of stem cells are found in in adults, children, infants, placentas, umbilical cords, and cadavers
- There is only a small numbers of stem cells in these tissues which tend to produce only certain types of cells (i.e., a stem cell that comes from a kidney can only produce more kidney cells)
- One type comes from fully developed tissues such as the brain, skin, and bone marrow
- The other type is induced pluripotent stem cells, which are adult stem cells altered in a lab to more closely resemble and function as embryonic stem cells, though unlike embryonic stem cells they cannot develop into any kind of cell and tissue
- There are two types
What Are Stem Cells Used For?
Currently, the only stem cells now used to treat disease in the U.S. are from blood cell-forming adult stem cells found in bone marrow.
- These types of stem cells are used in procedures such as bone marrow transplants, as adjunct therapy for the treatment of leukemia, or to treat people with conditions such as Fanconi anemia.
- Hematopoietic stem cells (stem cells that form blood and immune cells) are used for burn therapy, bone grafting, and corneal transplant tissues.
- Scientists believe stem cells have the potential to be used for numerous different medical applications in the future, for example, by creating new heart tissue to transplant into a damaged heart to treat heart disease.
Is Stem Cell Research Illegal in The United States?
Stem cell research is legal in the United States, however, there are restrictions on its funding and use.
- State laws regarding research on stem cells vary widely, particularly in regard to use of embryonic stem cells. On one end of the spectrum, eight states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York) encourage embryonic stem cell research, while on the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota strictly forbids research on embryos.
- A number of states restrict research on aborted fetuses or embryos, but in some cases, research may be permitted with consent of the patient.
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References
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/overview-of-stem-cells?search=stem%20cell%20research&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1#H3982158
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=what-are-stem-cells-160-38
https://www.pewforum.org/2008/07/17/stem-cell-research-at-the-crossroads-of-religion-and-politics/
https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/embryonic-and-fetal-research-laws.aspx
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=what-are-stem-cells-160-38
https://www.pewforum.org/2008/07/17/stem-cell-research-at-the-crossroads-of-religion-and-politics/
https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/embryonic-and-fetal-research-laws.aspx