stem cells in medicine Flashcards
what does bone marrow contain
stem cells that can become specialised to form any type of blood cell
why can bone marrow transplants be used
to replace the faulty bone marrow in patients and produce abnormal blood cells, the stem cells in the transplanted bone marrow divide and specialise to produce healthy blood cells
what has a bone marrow transplant successfully treated
leukaemia
lymphoma
genetic disorders-sickle cell anaemia and severe combined immunodeficiency
what are some treatments doctors think stem cells could be used for
spinal cord injuries
heart disease and damage to the heart due to a heart attack
bladder conditions
respiratory diseases
organ transplants
what are the three potential sources oh human stem cells
adult stem cells
embryonic stem cells
induced pluripotent stem cells
where are adult stem cells found
obtained from the body tissues of adults
in the bone marrow
tell me about adult stem cells
they can only specialise to a limited range of cells, not all body cell types
where are embryonic stem cells obtained from
embryos at an early stage of development
how are embryos created
in a laboratory using in vitro fertilisation
what is in vitro fertilisation
egg cells fertilised outside of the womb
what happens when an embryo is around 4-5 days old
stem cells are removed from them and the rest of the embryo is destroyed
how many times can an embryonic stem cell divide, what type of stem cell are they
unlimited amounts and develop into all types of body cells
pluripotent
what does IPS stand for
induced pluripotent stem cells
how are IPS cells created
by scientists in a lab
what does the process of making IPS cells involve
reprogramming specialised adult body cells so they become pluripotent
what is a transcription factor
a protein molecule that controls the transcription of a gene
how can a transcription factor be introduced to the adult cells
by infecting them with a specially-modified virus
what does the virus that introduces transcription factors to to the adult cells have
genes coding for transcription factors within its DNA
what happens when the virus infects the adult cell
the genes are passed into the adults cell’s DNA meaning that the cell is able to produce the transcription factors
what are some ethical considerations about obtaining stem cells from embryos
the procedure results in the destruction of an embryo that could become a fetus in the womb
it has the right to a life
what is possible about IPS cells
they can be made from the patients own cells
they would be genetically identical and they wouldn’t reject
what are some benefits of stem cell therapy
they could save many lives
stem cells could be made to be genetically identical to a patients own cells
they could improve the quality of life for many people
how could stem cells save lives
people waiting for an organ transplant may die before a donor organ becomes available stem cells could be used to grow organs for the people needing transplants
how can stem cells improve someone’s quality of life
they could be used to replace damaged cells in the eyes of people who are blind
