6. Stem Cells Un Medicine Flashcards
Why stems cells used
Treat or cuter various disease
Can be used to replace cells damanged by illness or injury
Bone marrow transplants
Bone marrow contains stem cells that can become specialised to form any type of blood cell
Transports can be used to replace faulty bone marrow in patients that produce abnormal blood cells
Stem cells in transplanted bone marrow divide and specialise to produce health cells
What has bone marrow transplants been successful at treating
Leukaemia
Lymphoma
Genetic disorder like sick cell anaemia
SCID
Severe combined immunodeficiency is a genetic disorder affecting immune system
Poor function immune isn’t as their white blood cells are defective meaning can’t defend body faint infections by indemnify and destroying microganisms get infections easily.
Bone marrow transplants help
Stem cells in future
Spins cord injuries
Heart diseases and attacks
Bladder conditions
Respiratory diseases
Organ transplants and
Name 3 sources of stem cells
- Adult stem cells
- Embryonic stem cells
- Induced pluripotent stem cells
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells found in bone Marrow.
Simple operation / littl tisn
Adult stem cells not as flexible as embryonic stem cells only specialise into limited range of cells not all body cell types
They’re multi potent
Embryonic stem cells
Obtained from embryos at early stage of development
Created in lab using in Virgo fertilisation
Embryos 4-5 years old stem cells are removed from them and the rest of the embryo is destroyed
embryo cells can divide an unlimited number of times and develop into all types of body cells - pluripotent
Induced pluripotent stem cells
LAb.
Reprogramming specialised adult body cells do they become pluripotent
They are made to express transcription factors that are normally associated with pluripotent cells.
How is induced pluripotent stem cells done C
Transcription factor can be intrigued to adult cell is by infecting them with specially modified virus
Virus has genes coding for transcription factors in dna when virus infects adult cell these genes are passed into adult cells dna
Meaning cell can reproduce transcription factors.
Ethical considerations
Destrxutoinof embryo that could become a fetus in womb.
Some people believe at moment of fertilisation life is formed
What is the problem with adult stem cells
Can’t develop into all specialised cell types
Embryonic can
Induced pluripotent stem Cells have proved useseful and flexible
Name 3 benefits for stem cell therapy
Save lives - organ transplants - stem cells could be used to grow organs for those waiting
Stem cells genetically identical to patients own cell so body work reject
Improve quality of life for many people eg blindness
