Biology of stem cells and their Pros and cons

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Stem cells
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FEBRUARY 20, 2020
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Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Biology of stem cells.........................................................................................................................2
Type of stems cells............................................................................................................................3
Compare and contrast........................................................................................................................3
Pros and cons.....................................................................................................................................3
Use of stem cells in spinal cord injury...............................................................................................4
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................5
References.............................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Stem cells are described as the raw material of the body, cells from which body cells
with particular functions are produced (Gregory et al., 2016). Under the correct
circumstances in the body or a laboratory, these cells divide to generate more cells named
daughter cells. These particular daughter cells either turn out to be new stem cells (self-
regeneration) or become specific cells (multiplication) with an additional specific function,
for example, blood cells, cells in the brain, cells in the heart muscle or bone cells. No other
body cell possesses the natural capacity to produce new cell types (Zakrzewski et al., 2019).
In this particular report, the biology of stem cells, uniqueness, similarity and differences
between different types will be discussed.
Biology of stem cells
Stem cells are the undifferentiated type of cells that can be divided to generate some
daughter cells that continue as the stem cells that are expected to multiply or become
specialized. These types of cells are identified as the ongoing source of the separated cells
that make up different tissues and body organs or animals and even plants. they have the
potential to be used in different types of therapies for substituting the defective or damaged
cells developed form a variety of health issues like Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular
disease, and diabetes (Chagastelles & Nardi, 2011). These cells are exceptional from other
cells in different ways. Stem cells are proficient in separating and renewing themselves for
additional time than other different cells. stem cells might duplicate many times, or reproduce
unlike other different cells like muscle cells, different blood cells, or nerve cells which cannot
usually multiply themselves. One of the unique properties of stem cells is that it lacks any
type of tissue-specific structure that enables it to perform particular functions in the body.
The ordinary cells can divide a particular number of times before they die, in contrast, stem
cells can divide many times or keeps dividing indefinitely (Biehl & Russell, 2009).

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Type of stems cells
There are three different types of stem cells
1) adult stem cells
2) Embryonic cells
3) Induced pluripotent stem cells.
Compare and contrast
Expressed
lifespan in the
tissue culture
Potency Source Developmental
phase
Human
embryonic stem
cells
They are
immortal: can
divide
continuously in
the culture
Pluripotent, able
to make any
type of cells or
tissues in the
human body
Composed of
inner cell mass
of the blastocyst
The blastocyst
develops very
early in the
development,
between two to
four days
Adult stem cells Limited
lifespan, and
based upon the
kind of AST
Multipotent,
these cells are
lineage limited
and produce
only specific
cells
Present in the
organs and
tissues, for
example, heart,
liver, bone, and
fat
Produce during
the fetal phase,
and persist
during
adulthood
(Zakrzewski et
al., 2019)
Induced
pluripotent stem
cells
Immortal. They
seem to
multiply
endlessly in the
culture
These cells are
supposed to be
pluripotent
Hypothetically,
any type of
somatic cell or
the body cells
can be
reprogramed
top the
embryonic form
Any type of
somatic cell or
the body cell
can be applied,
for example, a
skin cell (Biehl
& Russell,
2009).
Pros and cons
Adult stem cells Embryonic stem cells Induced pluripotent
stem cells
Pros  Transdifferentiation
and reprogramming are
possible in these cells.
 Can maintain and
develop for one
year or more in the
 Abundant somatic
cells of the giver
(donor) can be

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 Likely to be rejected if
applied in the
transplants
culture
 Pluripotent and
can generate
different types of
cells
applied
 Issus of the
histocompatibility
with the provider
transplant can be
stopped (Hinkley
II, 2019).
Con
s
 Restrictions on ASC
capability to multiply
 Cannot grow for
lengthy periods
 Cell count is low in
each tissue
 Insufficient
process for
generating ESC
lines
 Unsure whether
they would be
disallowed if
applied in the
transplants
 There is an
uncertainty of
methods used to
ensure the
reproducibility
and maintenance
 Viruses are
presently applying
to introduce the
embryonic genes
(Leventhal et al.,
2012).
Use of stem cells in injuries of spinal cord
Stem cells have a broad range of applications in human disease and injuries. For
example, spinal cord injuries. It has been identified that around 230,000 Americans suffer
from an acute type of spinal cord impairments and stem cell therapy can be an effective
treatment for them (Gregory et al., 2016). The spinal cord injuries lead to the neurological
problems by an inflammatory response and associated cell death inside the spinal cord. The
stem cells are recognized as the promising method to treat such problems as they have a
regenerative or self-renewing property and can distinguish into single or more precise types
of cells. Ideally, treatment for the spinal cord impairments would restrict existing cell death,
trigger the growth from available cells and replace the impaired cells. According to Gazdic et
al (2018), Stem cell treatments can be used to solve the challenges faced in the treatment of
SCI. however, they also reported that there is a need for further research and include other
treatments with stem cell therapy. According to a news report published by Cyranoski (2019),
Japan permitted the use of stem cell treatment for injuries of spinal cord.

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Conclusion
Stem cells are cells with specific or unique properties. These types of cells can divide
multiple times or endlessly and produce specialized cells. There are these types of cells ESC,
ASC, and iPSCs. ESCs and iPSCs are immortal, and ASC has a limited lifespan. ASCs can
transdifferentiate and reprogram themselves, ESCs can maintain and develop for one or more
years, and iPSCs are abundant cells of the donor can be used. They also have some
disadvantages. ASCs cannot grow for a longer time, there is an insufficient process to
generate ESC, and in the case of iPSCs, there is a lack of methods to reproduce and maintain.
Stems cells are used to address spinal cord impairments as these injuries affect the
neurological ability and cell death. And stem cells perform the functions to regenerate which
can be used as the method top stop cell death.

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References
Biehl, J. K., & Russell, B. (2009). Introduction to stem cell therapy. The Journal of
cardiovascular nursing, 24(2), 98.
Chagastelles, P. C., & Nardi, N. B. (2011). Biology of stem cells: an overview. Kidney
international supplements, 1(3), 63-67.
Cyranoski, D. (2019). Japan's approval of a stem-cell treatment for spinal-cord injury
concerns scientists. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-
00178-x
Gazdic, M., Volarevic, V., Harrell, C. R., Fellabaum, C., Jovicic, N., Arsenijevic, N., &
Stojkovic, M. (2018). Stem cells therapy for spinal cord injury. International journal
of molecular sciences, 19(4), 1039.
Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher K. Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro (2016). The Use of Cell
Transplantation in Spinal Cord Injuries. Journal of the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2016, 24 (4), 266.
Hinkley II, C. C. (2019). Stem Cell Research. In Moral Conflicts of Organ Retrieval: A Case
for Constructive Pluralism (pp. 189-199). Brill Rodopi.
Leventhal, A., Chen, G., Negro, A., & Boehm, M. (2012). The benefits and risks of stem cell
technology. Oral diseases, 18(3), 217.
Zakrzewski, W., Dobrzyński, M., Szymonowicz, M., & Rybak, Z. (2019). Stem cells: past,
present, and future. Stem cell research & therapy, 10(1), 1-22.