Stem Cells Advantages And Disadvantages

1219 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Tissue Repair and Regeneration

The world of science is developing very rapidly. This can be explained by the desire of people to know everything, e.g. the origins of life, the structure of human’s organism, the secrets of universe etc. The one of a set of branches in science is regenerative medicine, which includes stem cells research. Generally, stem cells are unique cells in the human’s body, which have an ability to renew themselves and become specialized into liver cells, kidney cells or spinal cord cells from unspecialized type of cells. There are several advantages and disadvantages of using stem cells in treatment the most common diseases of the world. The subject of this research project is to evaluate the benefits and risks of using stem cells in curing global diseases. It merits study, because stem cells are the constituent part of human organism and their abilities must be explored, in order to use them in therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes mellitus, spinal cord injuries and cardiac disorders. It is significant to know possible risks of using stem cells, as well as their benefits. Basically, stem cells are unspecialized cells in the human organism, which have a significant ability to renew themselves and become specialized with new functions. They have distinguishing properties to develop into different types of cells, such as brain cells, nerve or liver cells etc. The stem cells repair dead cells; moreover they can divide without any limitations. Generally, there are four sources of stem cells: stem cells from embryo; stem cells from fetus; stem cells from adult human; stem cells from umbilical cord. Saxena (2009) emphasizes, the stem cells are divided in two categories of their originationThese stem cells are undiffe... ... middle of paper ... ...nctions. iii. How neural disorders, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injuries can be treated by stem cells and what are the fears about application of this therapy on human? The scientists are suggested that stem cells have a great potential in treatment the neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injuries, but at the same time these therapies have several risks, which can be explained by not enough investigations in this field and requires more time to do it. The Parkinson’s disorder is a type of neurodegenerative diseases, which is characterized by death of special cells, which produce a chemical, called dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for human’s movement, because it carries the signals to the brain. The loss of these cells can cause symptoms, such as tremors, rigidity and disability to move (Wu 2010).

Show More
Related

  • Should Stem Cells Be Used In Medical Research Essay

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stem cells are the building blocks of the human body. Embryos consist of unspecialized stem cells that transform into the various specialized cells in the body such as cardiac, muscle or bone cells. Fetuses also have stem cells. However, the stem cells are divided into types like muscle, bone or nerves and don't perform a specialized function. Surprisingly, adult bodies also contain stem cells. In adults, stem cells are undifferentiated but limited to specific tissue type. When needed, the stem cells transform into the cells needed for repair and maintenance. The most common source of adult stem cells is bone marrow. Researchers also acquire stem cells from umbilical cords. Without stem cells, embryos could not develop into fetuses and adult

    Read More

  • Michael J. Fox Faces Parkinson's Disease

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    What exactly is Parkinson’s disease? It is a disease of the nervous system; it falls into a group of conditions called motor system disorders. The initial symptoms are normally tremors of a limb, especially when the body is resting. Bradykinesia, akinesia, and postural inability are also symptoms that occur. These symptoms will worsen over time (Genetics Home Reference).

    Read More

  • Reversing Stroke and Spinal Cord Damage

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    Until recently there was virtually nothing doctors could do for the 500,000 Americans who have strokes each year, the 500,000 to 750,000 who experience severe head injury, or the 10,000 people who are paralyzed after spinal cord damage (3). However, that is about to change. Researchers now think it may be possible to replace destroyed brain cells with new ones to give victims of stroke and brain injury a chance to relearn how to control their body, form new thinking processes, and regain emotions. After demolishing the long-standing myth that brain cells cannot regenerate or proliferate, scientists are developing ways to stimulate cells to do just that. Although stroke, head injury, and paralysis are three of the most devastating things that can happen to anyone, scientists have recently learned that the damage they cause is not preordained. It takes place over minutes, hours, and days, giving them a precious opportunity to develop treatments to halt much of the damage. Most of the new remedies are not yet available, but an explosion of research in the last five to ten years has convinced scientists that some of them will work (8).

    Read More

  • Parkinson's Disease Research Paper Outline

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Parkinson's Disease is a mysterious disease that affects the central nervous system and can be very difficult to treat and live with. It is classified as a motor system disorder but is a progressive, chronic disease resulting in

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scientists would be able to grow spinal cells from pluripotent stem cells. These cells could possibly repair spinal cord damage. Those afflicted by paralysis, such as Christopher Reeve, could possibly move again. Stem cells could also be used to grow nerve cells, possibly combating Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s. While it will be many years before scientists may actually be able to find a way to combat these diseases, there is a great promise in stem cells.

    Read More

  • Parkinson Disease

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    Parkinson disease (PD), also referred to as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis agitans, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the third most common neurologic disorder of older adults. It is a debilitating disease affecting motor ability and is characterized by four cardinal symptoms: tremor rigidity, bradykinesia or kinesis (slow movement/no movement), and postural instability. Most people have primary, or idiopathic, disease. A few patients have secondary parkinsonian symptoms from conditions such as brain tumors and certain anti-psychotic drugs.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stem cell research must be performed in order for scientists to develop a method full capable of repairing cells. The benefits of stem cell research greatly outweigh the controversies. In the long term, increased ability to cure diseases would decrease the cost of healthcare globally. In the short term, a lot of money is needed to obtain the knowledge required to save lives. In the long run, stem cell research is worth the money spent. This is only achievable if stem cell stu

    Read More

  • Parkinson's Disease

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    Parkinson's is an idiopathic, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that attacks neurotransmitters in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is concentrated in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra. The neurotransmitter dopamine is a chemical that regulates muscle movement and emotion. Dopamine is responsible for relaying messages between the substantia nigra and other parts of the brain to control body movement. The death of these neurotransmitters affects the central nervous system. The most common symptoms are movement related, including shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with posture. Behavioral problems may arise as the disease progresses. Due to the loss of dopamine, Parkinson's patients will often experience depression and some compulsive behavior. In advanced stages of the disease dementia will sometimes occur. The implications of the disease on the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory and phonatory systems significantly control speech.

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research Essay

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    This paper focuses on the benefits of stem cell research in the medical and nursing field. New technology is always being created to help us understand the way the human body works, as well as ways to help us improve diseased states in the body. Our bodies have the ability to proliferate or regrow cells when damage is done to the cells. Take for example the skin, when an abrasion or puncture to the skin causes loss of our skin cells, the body has its own way of causing those cells to regrow. The liver, bone marrow, heart, brain, and muscle all have cells that are capable of differentiating into cells of that same type. These are called stem cells, and are a new medical tool that is helping regrow vital organs in our body to help us survive. Stem cells can come from adult cells, or the blastocyst of the embryo. The cells that come from these are undifferentiated, and can be specialized into certain cell types, making them available for many damaged tissues in the body. While using stem cells in the body is a main use, they are also being used to help doctors understand how disease processes start. By culturing these cells in the lab and watching them develop into muscles, nerve cells, or other tissues, researchers are able to see how diseases affect these cells and possibly discover ways to correct these diseases. While researchers have come very far in using stem cells, there are still many controversies to overcome when using these cells.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the discussion above it is very clear that there are different opinions on the pros and cons of stem cell research. Based on the recent researches, scientists have the capability to work out the alternatives for embryonic stem cell research. And the usefulness compare to embryonic stem cell remains unknown. Undeniably, the stem cell research issue has its most complex parts to be resolved and surmounted. But perhaps we can disclose the way to carry out stem cell research with the balance of bioethics and most importantly, do no harm for humankind one day.

    Read More

  • Federal Funds Should Be Used for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    The wide range of prospective uses for stem cells could greatly improve the health and wellbeing of many people.  In stem cell treatments, undifferentiated cells are programmed to form specific cells, which can then be transplanted to the afflicted area.  Stems cells can possibly treat afflictions including “Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis” (“Stem Cell Basics”).  Another important use is in drug testing. Drugs can be tested on stem cells that develop into the target tissue before using it on human test subjects, which improves safety.  Finally, transplantation of organs created from stem cells could eliminate the need for human...

    Read More

  • Parkinsons Disease

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    Without this vital dopamine nerve cells cannot properly transmit messages resulting in a loss of muscle function.Parkinson's Disease is a non-communicable disease and doctors have not yet found out whether or not it is a hereditary disease. Parkinson's Disease has many distinct symptoms. The symptoms are:Muscle Rigiditystiffness difficulty bending arms or legsunstable, stooped, or slumped-over posture loss of balancewalking pattern changesslow movements difficulty beginning to walk difficulty initiating any...

    Read More

  • Moral and Ethical Issues Relating to Stem Cells Research

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stem cells offer exciting promise for future therapies, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research. Stem Cells have the incredible potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans. The embryonic stem cells and the non-embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are the cells from which all other cells originate. In a human embryo, a large portion of the embryo’s cells are stem cells. These stem cells can be used for cell-based therapies. Cell-Based therapies are treatments in which stem cells are induced to differentiate into the specific cell type required to repair damaged or destroyed cells or tissues. Stem cells are versatile and offer the possibility to treat a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s, stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. The problem is that for the process of embryonic stem cell research and embryo will be destroyed if used. This raises a moral issue and questions of whether stem cell research is unethical or not.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Human Cloning

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Benefits of Human Cloning In recent years, many new breakthroughs in the areas of science and technology have been discovered. A lot of these discoveries have been beneficial to the scientific community and to the people of the world. One of the newest breakthroughs is the ability to clone. Ever since Ian Wilmut and his co-workers completed the successful cloning of an adult sheep named Dolly, there has been an ongoing debate on whether it is right or wrong to continue the research of cloning (Burley).

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Therapy

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to discover the ways for the remedy of diseases, studies in therapeutic approaches have been doing widely and kept increasing at accelerated pace. A lot of research areas had emerged for that purpose including one of the most fascinating and highly active areas at present, stem cells therapies. Due to self-renewal property and differentiation capability of stem cell, it becomes a new hope in modern treatment.

    Read More

More about Stem Cells Advantages And Disadvantages

Open Document