Uses and ethics of stem cells Flashcards
How can stem cells potentially be used to treat type 1 diabetes?
with insulin-dependent diabetes the body’s own immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
patients have to inject insulin for life
treatment for this using stem cells has been tried experimentally with some success
How can stem cells potentially be used to treat spinal injuries?
scientists have restored some movemnt to the hind limbs of rats with damaged spinal cords using stem cell implants
How are stems cells already used in the treatment of burns?
stems cells grown on biodegradeable meshes can produce new skins form burn patients
this is quicker than the normal process of taking a graft from another part of the body
How can stem cells be used in drug trials and developmental biology?
potential drug trials can be tested on cultures of stem cells before being tested on humans
with their ability to divide indefinitely and differntiate into almost any cell, they have become an important area of research
the changes that occur as multicellular organisms grow and develop from a single cell can be researched and why things sometimes go wrong
Why do adult stem cells not cause much controversy?
they have been used in medicine for many years in the form of bone marrow transplants from adults
Why has controversy risen over embryonic stem cells?
originally embryos used were donated from those left over after fertility treatment
however a law in the UK has been passed that allowed embryos to be specifically created in the laboratory as a source of stem cells
What happens as stem cells are removed from an embryo? What is being done to stop this?
results in a destruction of the embryo
techniques are being develop[ed that will allow stem cells to be removed without damage to the embryo
What are the moral objection to using stem cells?
many people believe that life begins at conception and the destruction of the embryo is therefore murder
there is a lack of consensus as to when the embryo itself has right and also who owns the genetic material that has been donated for research
What are the negatives of the controversy?
it is holding back the progress that could lead to the successful treatment of many incurable diseases
use of multipotent umbilical cord stem cells overcomes these issues, however they are not pluripotent like embryonic stem cells, thus limiting their usefullness
adult tissue stem cells can be used and do not divide as well and umbilical stem cells are more likely to have acquired mutations
What developments are being made to increase the usefulness of stem cells?
artifically transforming tissue stem cells into pluriotent cells
induced pluripotent cells are adult stem cells that have been genetically modified to act like embryonic stem cells
