Stem Cell Research over
the last few years has changed significantly and the field is constantly
changing, and recently the researchers at the Medical University of South
Carolina have made a breakthrough in the use of Adult stem cells. Adult stem
cells typically cannot be used to grow any cell in the body but by using a technique
that allows adult stem cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) adult
stem cells can be in a sense reprogrammed to become any cell in the body. However,
the big problem comes when programming the cells to become what the researchers
need and being sure that those cells are mature and ready to be used. And so a
method to be able to more effectively purify newly cultured cells was and is
needed to be able to use the iPSCs as transplant cells and if pluripotent cells
alone were transplanted or the amount of cells transplanted was impure and had
to many immature cells the result would be tumors to form called
tertaocracinomas.
And so the breakthrough occurred
while using a relatively new kind of technology called chemoproteomic cell
surface capture (CSC) which allows the researchers to map proteins on the
surface of liver cells and be able to differentiate between the mature liver
cells and the rest of the cells. The results of this procedure so far have been
very successful at producing very pure liver cells and in the future has great
potential for allowing the transplant of stem cells tailored from a person’s
own cells. This is exciting because this could allow doctors and researchers to
be able to heal or in a way regrow damaged organs or cells in people suffering
from a large number of diseases. This is only a stepping stone in the potential
that stem cells have in the medical field and could lead to many breakthroughs in
the future.
-Jacob Carnation
Oh man, can you imagine what healthcare will be like once they figure out how to program stem cells to do exactly what we want? It's amazing to think about the leaps and bounds we have made in recent years with health research, and I'm anxiously waiting for the day that we can be more certain with our use of stem cells. I'm just curious, but has anyone ever gotten a stem cell injection before? I know you can get them in your knees or shoulders to potentially help with joint pain, but it seems like the data and research isn't there to support the claims or even the justification for stem cell injections. R.T.
ReplyDeleteI also did my post on stem cell research. I think that the medical advancements being made are going to lead us into the futuristic medicine that many have dreamed about, like repairing damaged organs and regrowing affected tissues. I wonder what kind of steps it might take to eventually get to regrowing limbs. That seems much more difficult to me as it isn't just liver cells or kidney cells, but bone, muscle, vessels and nerves, etc., all being programmed and coordinated to build something together. Very cool article.
ReplyDelete-Alex G.
The idea of using stem cells to regenerate damaged cells or organs is really cool, but there are definitely kinks that need to be worked out before this can be done. It is awesome to know that these advancements are being made toward being able to use these cells without having it cause more harm, and I can’t wait to see where scientists go from here. This is a huge step forward!
ReplyDelete-Mindy C.
Wow learning about this type advancement in science is so amazing. Things are always changing in the field of science and we are constatly becoming more knowledgable on all kinds of topics. I can only imagine all the good things that can come out of the use of pluripotent stem cells.- D.B.
ReplyDeleteResearch of stem cells fascinates me. I'm really interested in their regenerative properties. I know that this is a moonshot idea, but I wonder if it would be possible to use stem cells to slow down, stop, or reverse aging in humans.
ReplyDeleteT Anderson
Stem cell research is a topic that is intriguing to me. I think it is amazing how this kind of research could be possible and that it can be used in so many different ways. I am always happy to hear that research is being extended in ways like this that are so beneficial.
ReplyDelete--A.S.
This is yet another experiment that would really help find the cure for cancer. They could reprogram those cells to repair itself into healthy cells, and I guess delete or remove the cancer cells. I wounder how long it will take for this to be tested until they can move on to real cancer patients?
ReplyDeleteGomez
I have always found pluripotent stem cells very interesting. It's interesting to hear that they are one step closer to figuring out how to use them to heal damaged organs. -EH
ReplyDelete