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After processing, the stem cells are frozen. Until the cells are needed for infusion, they are stored in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. The time spent stored is typically just weeks to months, but if ever necessary stem cells can be stored for as long as ten years.

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We expect the answer of benefit from purging is dependent on clinical factors, including the lymphoma subtype and methods used to purge. "Purging of neoplastic cells for autologous stem cell transplantation is usually done in vivo by administering chemotherapy and/or other agents before harvesting.

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Taken from human embryos; commonly from fertility clinics who are left over from assisted reproduction attempts. In order to take cells from living human embryos, harvesting the cells means destruction of the embryos. It's a sensitive and controversial topic, many scientists believe that through enough research, a cure for  Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and diabetes can be obtained from stem cells [though not necessarily embryonic ones].

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An Overview of Stem Cell Research | The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity

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Many proponents of human embryonic stem cell research argue that it is actually wrong to protect the lives of a few unborn human beings if doing so will delay treatment for a much larger number of people who suffer from fatal or debilitating diseases.

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There has been many new discoverments about stem cells. Some of the new advancements they have made on stem cells were that , in the University South Wales in Australia they believe that they found a potential cure of renewing damaged human tissue, that was most likely caused by injury, disease, or the process of growing old.

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In California the normal cost for a stem cell research ing or treatment is estimated to be around $512,000 for each stem cell that they want to get teated for. In the US the approximate cost for every patient is about $10,000 per treatment. Insurance does not cover for these types of treatments because of safety issues. Many things can change the type of cost it will like for example depending on the type of stem cell you are getting treated or where you go get it done (in the U.S or out of the U.S). It is not difficult to find stem cell research centers since there can be medical research centers all around the world that can help you. The only hard part is finding donors that are willing to donate certain stem cells since they are a big part of your body.

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(Editor's note: Updated figures on costs can be found in this 2017 item.)

The likely costs of potential stem cell therapies and cures receive almost no attention in the media as well as publicly from scientists and the biotech firms.

Usually any public discussion is obliquely framed in the context of "reimbursement," as if industry is owed something instead of making a business decision about what will make a profit. Euphemisms and jargon cloak unpleasant realities such as astronomical patient costs. But what reimbursement really involves are, in fact, pricing decisions and profit margins along with lobbying campaigns for inclusion of therapies in normal coverage of health insurance and Medicare.

And today a singular figure - $512,000 for one stem cell treatment - appeared in the Wall Street Journal . The story by Kosaku Narioka and Phred Dvorak dealt with what would be the first-ever human study of a treatment that uses reprogrammed adult stem cells.

They reported that the study received preliminary approval on Wednesday from a key panel of the Japan Health Ministry. The treatment involves a form of age-related macular degeneration, which has also been targeted by the California stem cell agency with different approaches.

Buried deep in the Wall Street Journal article, with little other discussion, was this sentence:

"One eventual obstacle, even if tests go well, could be cost: (Masayuki) Yamato (of Tokyo Women's Medical University) says initial estimates for the treatment run around ¥50 million ($512,000) per person."

The subject of costs for potential stem cell treatments has rattled around in the background for years without much deep public discussion. One reason is that high costs of treatments are controversial and can trigger emotional debate. Another reason is that it is very early in the therapy development process and estimates are not likely to be entirely reliable.

"The cost impact of the therapy is likely to be high, because of a therapy's high cost per patient, and the potentially large number of individuals who might benefit from the therapy. This expense would put additional stress on the Medicare and Medicaid budgets, cause private insurance health premiums to increase, and create an incentive for private plans to avoid covering individuals eligible for a therapy."

The findings did not seem to be exactly welcomed. The agency sat on the 2009 study for seven months until it was uncovered by the California Stem Cell Report in April 2010. Then the agency was careful to say that the study did not reflect the view of CIRM management or board leadership.

Nonetheless pricing is critical to both patient accessibility and therapy development. If companies cannot make a profit on a possible therapy, it is virtually certain not to appear in the marketplace.

While the subject remains in the background, it does not mean there is a lack of interest. The copy of the Berkeley stem cell cost study that was posted online by the California Stem Cell Report has been read 11,701 times since it was made available in April 2010 on scribd.com.

(For a 2015 look at costs for non-government approved procedures, see this item.)

A copy of the Berkeley study can be found below.

Sphere: Related Content

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Cost of a Stem Cell Therapy? An Estimated $512,000

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(Editor's note: Updated figures on costs can be found in this 2017 item.) The likely costs of potential stem cell therapies and cures receive almost no attention in the media as well as publicly from scientists and the biotech firms. Usually any public discussion is obliquely framed in the context of "reimbursement," as if industry is owed something instead of making a business decision about what will make a profit.

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In the 19th century many discoverment's were made about stem cells. In 1978 is when stem cells were discovered in a human cord blood and from 1981 to 1988 is when they started doing animal stem cell experiments. in the year of 1997, they experimented on lambs for the first time using their stem cells. In another study that they had experimented showed that they found a stem cell showing the possiblity of cancer on it.

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The history of stem cell research is an exciting one that has also been tainted with scandal and debate over various ethical issues. New research will hopefully continue to find ways to reap the full benefits of stem cell therapy.

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Animal and Plant Stem Cells: Can they be collaborated? TS

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Animal and Plant Stem Cells: Can they be collaborated? TS

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As many dive into the vast ideas and uses of stem cells in animals, questions began to come out about letting plant stem cells attempt to heal different aspects of animals and to keep the already existing cons, such as the 'inhumainty ' stem cell research has been given by many people ever since the technology for it has came into fruition. Unfortunately, since they are two different breeds of the same idea, they cannot be conjoined with another, but rather are adjacent pairs that are close, but not close enough to be able to conduct enough to heal animals and humans

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Stem Cells, Plants, Animals | Learn Science at Scitable

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Stem cells function as the source of new cells to build tissues and organs and are central players in the development of complex organisms ranging from plants to humans. By genetically marking stem cells, it is possible to show that nearly all cells of a mature plant descend from small groups of stem cells located in their growing apices.

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Pros for Stems Cells include recycling, and using an aborted embryo for science and testing what can and cannot work for humans. If you're pro stem cells, then a counter argument to the "inhumane" side would be that they think it is not equivalent to a human life. Also, the donation of aborted embryos being donated to science and research is beneficial to test all kinds of different hypotheses. Cons of stem cells would be simply because it is inhuman and devaluing life. It also brings up the insufficiency of the embryos because of potential diseases which makes it not a promising theory for the upcoming future.

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Stem cell controversy is primarily over the use of embryonic stem cells because it involves the destruction of an embryo. Although alternatives exist and are being developed, their potential is lower than embryonic stem cells.

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1. Introduction: What are stem cells, and why are they important?

2. What are the unique properties of all stem cells?

3. What are embryonic stem cells?

4. What are adult stem cells?

5. What are the similarities and differences between embryonic and adult stem cells?

6. What are induced pluripotent stem cells?

7. What are the potential uses of human stem cells and the obstacles that must be overcome before these potential uses will be realized?

8. Where can I get more information?

IV. What are adult stem cells?

An adult stem cell is thought to be an undifferentiated cell, found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. The adult stem cell can renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Scientists also use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell, where somatic refers to cells of the body (not the germ cells, sperm or eggs). Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (cells from the preimplantation-stage embryo), the origin of adult stem cells in some mature tissues is still under investigation.

Research on adult stem cells has generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led researchers and clinicians to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult hematopoietic, or blood-forming, stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for more than 40 years. Scientists now have evidence that stem cells exist in the brain and the heart, two locations where adult stem cells were not at first expected to reside. If the differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of transplantation-based therapies.

The history of research on adult stem cells began more than 60 years ago. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called bone marrow stromal stem cells (also called mesenchymal stem cells, or skeletal stem cells by some), were discovered a few years later. These non-hematopoietic stem cells make up a small proportion of the stromal cell population in the bone marrow and can generate bone, cartilage, and fat cells that support the formation of blood and fibrous connective tissue.

In the 1960s, scientists who were studying rats discovered two regions of the brain that contained dividing cells that ultimately become nerve cells. Despite these reports, most scientists believed that the adult brain could not generate new nerve cells. It was not until the 1990s that scientists agreed that the adult brain does contain stem cells that are able to generate the brain's three major cell types- astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells, and neurons, or nerve cells.

A. Where are adult stem cells found, and what do they normally do?

Adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian epithelium, and testis. They are thought to reside in a specific area of each tissue (called a "stem cell niche"). In many tissues, current evidence suggests that some types of stem cells are pericytes, cells that compose the outermost layer of small blood vessels. Stem cells may remain quiescent (non-dividing) for long periods of time until they are activated by a normal need for more cells to maintain tissues, or by disease or tissue injury.

Typically, there is a very small number of stem cells in each tissue and, once removed from the body, their capacity to divide is limited, making generation of large quantities of stem cells difficult. Scientists in many laboratories are trying to find better ways to grow large quantities of adult stem cells in cell culture and to manipulate them to generate specific cell types so they can be used to treat injury or disease. Some examples of potential treatments include regenerating bone using cells derived from bone marrow stroma, developing insulin-producing cells for type 1 diabetes, and repairing damaged heart muscle following a heart attack with cardiac muscle cells.

B. What tests are used to identify adult stem cells?

Scientists often use one or more of the following methods to identify adult stem cells: (1) label the cells in a living tissue with molecular markers and then determine the specialized cell types they generate; (2) remove the cells from a living animal, label them in cell culture, and transplant them back into another animal to determine whether the cells replace (or "repopulate") their tissue of origin.

Importantly, scientists must demonstrate that a single adult stem cell can generate a line of genetically identical cells that then gives rise to all the appropriate differentiated cell types of the tissue. To confirm experimentally that a putative adult stem cell is indeed a stem cell, scientists tend to show either that the cell can give rise to these genetically identical cells in culture, and/or that a purified population of these candidate stem cells can repopulate or reform the tissue after transplant into an animal.

C. What is known about adult stem cell differentiation?

As indicated above, scientists have reported that adult stem cells occur in many tissues and that they enter normal differentiation pathways to form the specialized cell types of the tissue in which they reside.

Normal differentiation pathways of adult stem cells. In a living animal, adult stem cells are available to divide for a long period, when needed, and can give rise to mature cell types that have characteristic shapes and specialized structures and functions of a particular tissue. The following are examples of differentiation pathways of adult stem cells ( Figure 2) that have been demonstrated in vitro or in vivo.

Figure 2. Hematopoietic and stromal stem cell differentiation. Click here for larger image. (© 2008 Terese Winslow)

Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the types of blood cells: red blood cells, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and macrophages.

Mesenchymal stem cells have been reported to be present in many tissues. Those from bone marrow (bone marrow stromal stem cells, skeletal stem cells) give rise to a variety of cell types: bone cells (osteoblasts and osteocytes), cartilage cells (chondrocytes), fat cells (adipocytes), and stromal cells that support blood formation. However, it is not yet clear how similar or dissimilar mesenchymal cells derived from non-bone marrow sources are to those from bone marrow stroma.

Neural stem cells in the brain give rise to its three major cell types: nerve cells (neurons) and two categories of non-neuronal cells-astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Epithelial stem cells in the lining of the digestive tract occur in deep crypts and give rise to several cell types: absorptive cells, goblet cells, Paneth cells, and enteroendocrine cells.

Skin stem cells occur in the basal layer of the epidermis and at the base of hair follicles. The epidermal stem cells give rise to keratinocytes, which migrate to the surface of the skin and form a protective layer. The follicular stem cells can give rise to both the hair follicle and to the epidermis.

Transdifferentiation. A number of experiments have reported that certain adult stem cell types can differentiate into cell types seen in organs or tissues other than those expected from the cells' predicted lineage (i.e., brain stem cells that differentiate into blood cells or blood-forming cells that differentiate into cardiac muscle cells, and so forth). This reported phenomenon is called transdifferentiation.

Although isolated instances of transdifferentiation have been observed in some vertebrate species, whether this phenomenon actually occurs in humans is under debate by the scientific community. Instead of transdifferentiation, the observed instances may involve fusion of a donor cell with a recipient cell. Another possibility is that transplanted stem cells are secreting factors that encourage the recipient's own stem cells to begin the repair process. Even when transdifferentiation has been detected, only a very small percentage of cells undergo the process.

In a variation of transdifferentiation experiments, scientists have recently demonstrated that certain adult cell types can be "reprogrammed" into other cell types in vivo using a well-controlled process of genetic modification (see Section VI for a discussion of the principles of reprogramming). This strategy may offer a way to reprogram available cells into other cell types that have been lost or damaged due to disease. For example, one recent experiment shows how pancreatic beta cells, the insulin-producing cells that are lost or damaged in diabetes, could possibly be created by reprogramming other pancreatic cells. By "re-starting" expression of three critical beta cell genes in differentiated adult pancreatic exocrine cells, researchers were able to create beta cell-like cells that can secrete insulin. The reprogrammed cells were similar to beta cells in appearance, size, and shape; expressed genes characteristic of beta cells; and were able to partially restore blood sugar regulation in mice whose own beta cells had been chemically destroyed. While not transdifferentiation by definition, this method for reprogramming adult cells may be used as a model for directly reprogramming other adult cell types.

In addition to reprogramming cells to become a specific cell type, it is now possible to reprogram adult somatic cells to become like embryonic stem cells ( induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSCs) through the introduction of embryonic genes. Thus, a source of cells can be generated that are specific to the donor, thereby increasing the chance of compatibility if such cells were to be used for tissue regeneration. However, like embryonic stem cells, determination of the methods by which iPSCs can be completely and reproducibly committed to appropriate cell lineages is still under investigation.

D. What are the key questions about adult stem cells?

Many important questions about adult stem cells remain to be answered. They include:

How many kinds of adult stem cells exist, and in which tissues do they exist?

How do adult stem cells evolve during development and how are they maintained in the adult? Are they "leftover" embryonic stem cells, or do they arise in some other way?

Why do stem cells remain in an undifferentiated state when all the cells around them have differentiated? What are the characteristics of their "niche" that controls their behavior?

Do adult stem cells have the capacity to transdifferentiate, and is it possible to control this process to improve its reliability and efficiency?

If the beneficial effect of adult stem cell transplantation is a trophic effect, what are the mechanisms? Is donor cell-recipient cell contact required, secretion of factors by the donor cell, or both?

What are the factors that control adult stem cell proliferation and differentiation?

What are the factors that stimulate stem cells to relocate to sites of injury or damage, and how can this process be enhanced for better healing?

Previous | IV. What are adult stem cells? | Next

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Introduction: What are stem cells, and why are they important? What are the unique properties of all stem cells? What are embryonic stem cells? What are adult stem cells? What are the similarities and differences between embryonic and adult stem cells? What are induced pluripotent stem cells?

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How many stem cells do you need and how do they work to rebuild organs? Kb

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How many stem cells do you need and how do they work to rebuild organs? Kb

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Stem cells are identified in two ways, the first way being "self- renew" and the second way is "they can develop into specialized cells." Also there is no specific number of stem cells in your body they very as you get older and continue to grow.

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Stem Cell Basics - A Closer Look at Stem Cells

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Cells in the human body The human body comprises more than 200 types of cells, and every one of these cell types arises from the zygote, the single cell that forms when an egg is fertilized by a sperm. Within a few days, that single cell divides over and over again until it forms a blastocyst, a hollow ...

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What are the different cell types? What do they do? Kb

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What are the different cell types? What do they do? Kb

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Some cell types are Embryonic stem cells which are taken from a embryon early on. Hematopoletie stem cell which makes all different types of blood cells and it is extracted from bone marrow and a umbilical cord, it could be used for bone marrow transplants and diseases such as luekemia. Also there is the adult cells, the adult cell can be found throughout the body. It is used for many organs such as the heart brain liver stomach and many more.

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The latest news, comment and analysis on stem cell research and its implications.

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What are stem cells and why are they important? Kb

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What are stem cells and why are they important? Kb

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Stem cells are very important and special because they are cells that are being put into your body to fix damaged tissue you have. Stem cells come from an embryonic stage in a pregnancy because at the embryonic stage the fetus cells are not yet developed so taking cells from it allows us to put in needed areas. You can Particularly use the blastocyst (human embron) stage to get certain cells called pluripotent, which has the possibility to become any human cells

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Stem cell facts

Stem cells are primitive cells that have the potential to differentiate, or develop into, a variety of specific cell types.

There are different types of stem cells based upon their origin and ability to differentiate.

Bone marrow transplantation is an example of a stem cell therapy that is in widespread use.

Research is underway to determine whether stem cell therapy may be useful in treating a wide variety of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into many different or specialized cell types. Stem cells can be thought of as primitive, "unspecialized" cells that are able to divide and become specialized cells of the body such as liver cells, muscle cells, blood cells, and other cells with specific functions. Stem cells are referred to as "undifferentiated" cells because they have not yet committed to a developmental path that will form a specific tissue or organ. The process of changing into a specific cell type is known as differentiation. In some areas of the body, stem cells divide regularly to renew and repair the existing tissue. The bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract are examples of areas in which stem cells function to renew and repair tissue.

The best and most readily understood example of a stem cell in humans is that of the fertilized egg, or zygote. A zygote is a single cell that is formed by the union of a sperm and ovum. The sperm and the ovum each carry half of the genetic material required to form a new individual. Once that single cell or zygote starts dividing, it is known as an embryo. One cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight become sixteen, and so on, doubling rapidly until it ultimately grows into an entire sophisticated organism composed of many different kinds of specialized cells. That organism, a person, is an immensely complicated structure consisting of many, many, billions of cells with functions as diverse as those of your eyes, your heart, your immune system, the color of your skin, your brain, etc. All of the specialized cells that make up these body systems are descendants of the original zygote, a stem cell with the potential to ultimately develop into all kinds of body cells. The cells of a zygote are totipotent, meaning that they have the capacity to develop into any type of cell in the body.

The process by which stem cells commit to become differentiated, or specialized, cells is complex and involves the regulation of gene expression. Research is ongoing to further understand the molecular events and controls necessary for stem cells to become specialized cell types.

Stem Cell Definition

Stem Cells: One of the human body's master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of the body's more than 200 cell types.

All stem cells are unspecialized (undifferentiated) cells that are characteristically of the same family type (lineage). They retain the ability to divide throughout life and give rise to cells that can become highly specialized and take the place of cells that die or are lost.

Stem cells contribute to the body's ability to renew and repair its tissues. Unlike mature cells, which are permanently committed to their fate, stem cells can both renew themselves as well as create new cells of whatever tissue they belong to (and other tissues).

Why are stem cells important?

Stem cells represent an exciting area in medicine because of their potential to regenerate and repair damaged tissue. Some current therapies, such as bone marrow transplantation, already make use of stem cells and their potential for regeneration of damaged tissues. Other therapies that are under investigation involve transplanting stem cells into a damaged body part and directing them to grow and differentiate into healthy tissue.

Embryonic stem cells

During the early stages of embryonic development the cells remain relatively undifferentiated (immature) and appear to possess the ability to become, or differentiate, into almost any tissue within the body. For example, cells taken from one section of an embryo that might have become part of the eye can be transferred into another section of the embryo and could develop into blood, muscle, nerve, or liver cells.

Cells in the early embryonic stage are totipotent (see above) and can differentiate to become any type of body cell. After about seven days, the zygote forms a structure known as a blastocyst, which contains a mass of cells that eventually become the fetus, as well as trophoblastic tissue that eventually becomes the placenta. If cells are taken from the blastocyst at this stage, they are known as pluripotent, meaning that they have the capacity to become many different types of human cells. Cells at this stage are often referred to as blastocyst embryonic stem cells. When any type of embryonic stem cells is grown in culture in the laboratory, they can divide and grow indefinitely. These cells are then known as embryonic stem cell lines.

Picture of the stem cell cycle

Fetal stem cells

The embryo is referred to as a fetus after the eighth week of development. The fetus contains stem cells that are pluripotent and eventually develop into the different body tissues in the fetus.

Adult stem cells

Adult stem cells are present in all humans in small numbers. The adult stem cell is one of the class of cells that we have been able to manipulate quite effectively in the bone marrow transplant arena over the past 30 years. These are stem cells that are largely tissue-specific in their location. Rather than typically giving rise to all of the cells of the body, these cells are capable of giving rise only to a few types of cells that develop into a specific tissue or organ. They are therefore known as multipotent stem cells. Adult stem cells are sometimes referred to as somatic stem cells.

The best characterized example of an adult stem cell is the blood stem cell (the hematopoietic stem cell). When we refer to a bone marrow transplant, a stem cell transplant, or a blood transplant, the cell being transplanted is the hematopoietic stem cell, or blood stem cell. This cell is a very rare cell that is found primarily within the bone marrow of the adult.

One of the exciting discoveries of the last years has been the overturning of a long-held scientific belief that an adult stem cell was a completely committed stem cell. It was previously believed that a hematopoietic, or blood-forming stem cell, could only create other blood cells and could never become another type of stem cell. There is now evidence that some of these apparently committed adult stem cells are able to change direction to become a stem cell in a different organ. For example, there are some models of bone marrow transplantation in rats with damaged livers in which the liver partially re-grows with cells that are derived from transplanted bone marrow. Similar studies can be done showing that many different cell types can be derived from each other. It appears that heart cells can be grown from bone marrow stem cells, that bone marrow cells can be grown from stem cells derived from muscle, and that brain stem cells can turn into many types of cells.

Peripheral blood stem cells

Most blood stem cells are present in the bone marrow, but a few are present in the bloodstream. This means that these so-called peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) can be isolated from a drawn blood sample. The blood stem cell is capable of giving rise to a very large number of very different cells that make up the blood and immune system, including red blood cells, platelets, granulocytes, and lymphocytes.

Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body and give the blood its color.

Platelets are cell fragments that stop a person from bleeding and help the body to clot and heal when it is cut.

Granulocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps fight bacterial infection.

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system, help fight other infections, and also may be involved in protection against cancer.

All of these very different cells with very different functions are derived from a common, ancestral, committed blood-forming (hematopoietic), stem cell.

Umbilical cord stem cells

Blood from the umbilical cord contains some stem cells that are genetically identical to the newborn. Like adult stem cells, these are multipotent stem cells that are able to differentiate into certain, but not all, cell types. For this reason, umbilical cord blood is often banked, or stored, for possible future use should the individual require stem cell therapy.

Induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were first created from human cells in 2007. These are adult cells that have been genetically converted to an embryonic stem cell-like state. In animal studies, iPSCs have been shown to possess characteristics of pluripotent stem cells. Human iPSCs can differentiate and become multiple different fetal cell types. iPSCs are valuable aids in the study of disease development and drug treatment, and they may have future uses in transplantation medicine. Further research is needed regarding the development and use of these cells.

Why is there controversy surrounding the use of stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells and embryonic stem cell lines have received much public attention concerning the ethics of their use or non-use. Clearly, there is hope that a large number of treatment advances could occur as a result of growing and differentiating these embryonic stem cells in the laboratory. It is equally clear that each embryonic stem cell line has been derived from a human embryo created through in-vitro fertilization ( IVF) or through cloning technologies, with all the attendant ethical, religious, and philosophical problems, depending upon one's perspective.

What are some stem cell therapies that are currently available?

Routine use of stem cells in therapy has been limited to blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells) derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. Bone marrow transplantation is the most familiar form of stem cell therapy and the only instance of stem cell therapy in common use. It is used to treat cancers of the blood cells (leukemias) and other disorders of the blood and bone marrow.

In bone marrow transplantation, the patient's existing white blood cells and bone marrow are destroyed using chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Then, a sample of bone marrow (containing stem cells) from a healthy, immunologically matched donor is injected into the patient. The transplanted stem cells populate the recipient's bone marrow and begin producing new, healthy blood cells.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells and peripheral blood stem cells can also be used instead of bone marrow samples to repopulate the bone marrow in the process of bone marrow transplantation.

In 2009, the California-based company Geron received clearance from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin the first human clinical trial of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells in the treatment of patients with acute spinal cord injury.

What are experimental treatments using stem cells and possible future directions for stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is an exciting and active field of biomedical research. Scientists and physicians are investigating the use of stem cells in therapies to treat a wide variety of diseases and injuries. For a stem cell therapy to be successful, a number of factors must be considered. The appropriate type of stem cell must be chosen, and the stem cells must be matched to the recipient so that they are not destroyed by the recipient's immune system. It is also critical to develop a system for effective delivery of the stem cells to the desired location in the body. Finally, devising methods to "switch on" and control the differentiation of stem cells and ensure that they develop into the desired tissue type is critical for the success of any stem cell therapy.

Researchers are currently examining the use of stem cells to regenerate damaged or diseased tissue in many conditions, including those listed below.

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Medically Reviewed on 9/8/2016

Medically reviewed by John A. Daller, MD; American Board of Surgery with subspecialty certification in surgical critical care

REFERENCE:

"Stem Cell Information." National Institutes of Health.

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What Are Stem Cells? Research, Transplant, Therapy, Definition

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Learn about the types of stem cells and stem cell therapies available for uses in cancer treatment, bone marrow transplantation, and spinal cord injury, as well as research. Discover information on stem cell transplants, therapy, and learn the definition of what stem cells are.

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Done in an operating room where the donor is given an epidermal or  just general anesthetic, bone marrow is typically taken from the pelvic bone [where marrow and stem cells thrive], amount of blood and marrow typically varies for each donor [taking into account their weight and age], but is typically about 3%-5% is removed from an adult. While the donor is being bandaged and treated, the cells are being filtered out. The donor is bandaged up and suffers from a sore hip for a few days, but is given medicines to relieve the pain.

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The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.