Uses + ethics of stem cells Flashcards
How could stem cells help with heart disease?
Muscle tissue has been damaged, often irreparably, so stem cells are injected directly to area to replace damaged cells
How could stem cells help with type 1 diabetes?
Stem cells are used to replace insulin producing cells in pancreas, which have been destroyed by immune system
How could stem cells help with parkinsons disease?
Dopamine producing cells in brain have died, causing shaking + rigidity
Drugs only delay disease progression, stem cells could provide cure
How could stem cells help with alzheimers disease?
They could be used to replace brain cells that have been destroyed by abnormal build up of proteins
How could stem cells help with macular degeneration?
They’re in early stages of treating this condition which causes blindness - encouraging results
How could stem cells help with birth defects?
They’ve been used to treat birth defects in mice that are currently untreatable in humans
How could stem cells help with spinal injuries?
Damage to spinach cords in rats have been repaired with some movement to hind limbs being restored
What are stem cells already being used for?
Burns treatments, drug trials, developmental biology
How do stem cells help with treatment of burns?
Skin cells grown on biodegradable meshes from stem cells are used to produce new skin cells - quicker than using skin graft
How are stem cells used in drug trials?
Potential new drugs are tested on cultures of stem cells before being tested on animals/people
How do stem cells help in developmental biology?
Used to study changes that occur as multicellular animals grow + develop - helps to work out why things go wrong
How is removal of stem cells from embryos unethical?
Usually results in destruction of embryos - Religious + moral objections, many believe life starts from contraception + this is murder
What is the disadvantage of using umbilical cords to overcome ethical issues?
They’re multipotent not pluripotent like embryonic stem cells, so arent as useful
What is the disadvantage of using adult tissue stem cells to overcome ethical issues?
They dont divide as well as umbilical cords so are more likely to have mutations
What is the advantage of plant stem cells over animal stem cells?
They dont raise the same ethical issues
