Stem Cell Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

husk Cell - Research Paper ExampleThe goal of this paper is to provide a general historic and scientific background of the research. First, the scientific background of groundwork booth research will be discussed. This would stand for the exposition of al-Qaida cell technology, including the functions and the potence uses of stem cells. It would also entail a description of the different sources of stem cells, that is, adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. The advantages and disadvantages of these stem cells as a source of stem cell research and therapies will be noted. Stem cell technology An adult vertebrate is estimated to aloneay of more than two hundred different types of cells (Marshak et al. 4). These cells argon the fundamental units of life, the building blocks of all tissue, and the source of all extracellular matrix and interstitial fluids. The cells undergo changes throughout their existence. Sometimes, these changes through extrinsic or intrinsic causes whi tethorn result in damage or freeing of the cells. If the damage or loss of the cells is irreversible, it can be permanently debilitating or lethal, causing degenerative diseases. For instance, the loss of cardiomyocytes may lead to heart failure, the loss of neurons may lead to Parkinsons, dementias, ataxia, stroke, or paralysis, the loss of renal cells may lead to kidney failure, and the loss of hematopoietic cells may lead to bone marrow failures or anemias. Unfortunately, conventional drug therapies (small-molecule chemicals) are unable currently to crap fully functional cell or tissue replacement for these diseases (Harley and Rao in Arlene and Mahendra 239). However, research on humans stem cells promises the development of alternative therapies for the treatment of these diseases. Stem cell research continues to fuel the expectation that an crop of promising novel cellular therapeutics will be developed. It is anticipated that the therapies either comprised of or derived f rom human stem cells will be effective in treating a broad spectrum of medical conditions that necessitate replacement, restoration, repair, or renewal of damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organ systems (Fink et al. in Arlene and Mahendra 323). Stem cell technology aims at channeling these supernumerary cells with high proliferative capacity into specified differentiation programs within the body for therapeutic uses. Nevertheless, the development of the stem cell therapies will not be an easy task. The successful development of the therapies will depend on the scientists aptitude to direct the cells into specific pathways and then support the survival and differentiation of individual somatic stem/ primogenitor cells (Zhang in Arlene and Mahendra 145). Stem cell and its functions Stem cells are defined as a cell universe that has the capacity both to self-renew and to give rise to at least one kind of non-dividing, fully differentiate descendant (Hogan 189). It is notewort hy that most of the definitions of stem cells include a notion of self-renewal, coupled with a potential to generate one or more differentiated descendant cell types (Lumelsky in Arlene and Mahendra 162). There are three essential properties of stem cells unspecialized, self-renewal and differentiation. Stem cells are unspecialized cells, that is, they do not posses