Stem Cell Therapeutics

Question 1

What is the definition of a stem cell?

Answer 1

A cell that has the ability to continuously divide and differentiate into various other kind(s) of cells/tissues

Question 2

What is totipotency?

Answer 2

Ability to be all cells in the body

Question 3

How do you get embryonic stem cells?

Answer 3

Take inner mass of a blastocyst (day 5-6) and culture cells in medium

Question 4

What do haematopoietic stem cells give rise to?

Answer 4

Blood cells

Question 5

What do mesenchymal stem cells give rise to?

Answer 5

Cells of connective tissues and bones

Question 6

What do umbilical cord stem cells give rise to?

Answer 6

A rich source of haematopoietic stem cells

Question 7

What is good about stem cells found in amniotic fluid?

Answer 7

Might be more flexible than adult stem cells

Question 8

What is the problem with embryonic stem cells?

Answer 8

Ethically difficult taking from a blastocyst

Question 9

What is the alternative to embryonic stem cells?

Answer 9

Taking stem cells from mature organs but this is not easy to do

Question 10

What is pluripotent?

Answer 10

Cells can form any (over 200) cell types

Question 11

What is multi potent?

Answer 11

Cells differentiated but can form a number of other tissues

Question 12

What are special characteristics of all stem cells?

Answer 12

Self-renewal (proliferation)
Asymmetric cell division
Relocation and differentiation

Question 13

What are differences between embryonic and adult stem cells?

Answer 13

Different self-renewal capacities
Different potentials
Differ in how they respond to external stimuli

Question 14

How was cloning with dolly done?

Answer 14

Took a cell from the mother
Took its nucleus
Put its nucleus into fertilised egg and then went on to develop into a blastocyst that was implanted

Question 15

What is the marker found in haematopoietic stem cells and what does it do?

Answer 15

CD34, follows through to a variety of sub cells created , then when it is lost this is when they become lymphocytes, neutrophils etc.

Question 16

How do you mobilise haematopoietic stem cells?

Answer 16

Mobilise stem cells and harvest from blood using G-CSF, stem cell factor, GM-CSF
Peripheral blood is collected into a blood collection bag
Stem cells harvested using cell surface expression of CD34

Question 17

What are HSCT applications?

Answer 17

Severe combined immunodeficiency
Sickle cell disease
Replacement after irradiation

Question 18

What are future directions of HSCT?

Answer 18

Unlimited supply of HSCs
Wider selection of compatible donor HSCs
Modifications of HSCs prior to expansion
- genome editing
- genome insertion

Question 19

What is the issues with using HSCT?

Answer 19

Immune ablation is done with severe chemicals in terms of killing cells , this is removal of immune system so opens you up to infection

Question 20

What is good about autologous HSCT?

Answer 20

Removes GVHD - graft v host disease

Question 21

What is the issue with autologous HSCTs?

Answer 21

Have to abate the persons existing immune system

Question 22

What are autogolous HSCTs used for?

Answer 22

Myelomas, leukaemia
Potential in autoimmune disease, single gene immune deficiencies

Question 23

Why can induced pluripotent cells not replace ESC research?

Answer 23

Studying ESCs is critical for understanding iPSCs
IPSCs are induced by cancer genes therefore hinder their use for therapies