STEM CELLS
What are they?
Stem cells are special types of cells found in the bodies of humans and animals.
These cells have been found extremely useful in medical sciences due to their unique ability to give rise to other types of cells.
Stem cells can regenerate into different types of cells such as brain cells, liver cells, e.t.c.
What is a Stem Cell?
Source: [https://www.caricord.com]
TYPES AND ORIGIN
Embryonic Stem Cells:
Stem cells which are collected from tissues of adult humans are also called adult stem cells or tissue specific stem cells and those which are collected from human embryos (unborn human babies) are called embryonic stem cells.
Adult Stem Cells:
Tissue specific stem cells can only regenerate into certain other type of stem cells. For instance blood forming stem cells can give rise to red blood cells and white blood cells but cannot give rise to liver, lung or brain cells.
Embryonic stem cells are more versatile in comparison to Adult stem cells as they can give rise to almost every type of cells formed in the human body including brain, liver and lung cells. These cells have a moral dilemma attached to them as they can only be harnessed from Embryos.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells:
A new type of stem cells known as Induced pluripotent stem(iPS) cells have however changed the game to some extent. Induced pluripotent stem(iPS) cells are stem cells that have been designed in the lab by converting tissue-specific cells, such as skin cells, into cells that behave like embryonic stem cells. This process of converting tissue specific cells into iPS cells was discovered by Shinya Yamanaka who was also awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery. While iPS cells share many of the same properties of embryonic stem cells, including the ability to give rise to all the cell types in the body, they aren’t exactly the same as embryonic stem cells.
What are stem cells? - Craig A. Kohn
USAGE
Stem cells have proved themselves to be extremely useful in medical sciences. From solving problems such as Cancer, Brain damage to 3d printing human organs and much more stem cells have found their use almost all over medical science but while Stem cells have been found important in medical science their importance also spreads to other areas of life.
3D Printing a Human kidney
https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com
Wheelchair-bound Man Walks Again After Stem Cell Injections!
Stem cell research is helping in the development and production of lab grown meat which is free from the cruelties of factory farming and can now be mass produced at an affordable price. Test tube burgers, a breakthrough that once took the world by surprise used to cost somewhere around 325000$ to grow a patty of meat which now only costs 11.36$ thanks to advancements in stem cell research. It is often thought that cultured meat might provide a solution to resolve world hunger.
How test tube burgers are produced
Source: [https://geneticliteracyproject.org]
Cultured Meat
WHAT I PROPOSE WE DO
I propose that we start a movement to fund this research something unique, something that can be done anywhere, something online or something similar to the ALS ice bucket challenge or spreading awareness using ribbons or marathons or an online gaming event, earnings from which could be donated to UKSCF, CiRA Kyoto and other stem cell research organizations.
Leave your ideas in the comments. Up vote if you like the article.
Donations can be made at the following links:
http://www.ukscf.org/support-us/donate/
https://www.cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/about/fund.html
Also, beware of Stem cell Fraud and always be sure that the people providing you treatment using Stem cells are legitimate doctors or medical professionals.