Good Case Study On Stem Cells

Advancements in science and technology have made human life much easier. Life expectancy has increased substantially, people are enjoying a healthier and a safer life due to the progress made in the field of health. Out of those millions of advancements, stem cell therapy has created a milestone. It has made life assured; now a person with his own cells can save himself and his vital organs. People do not have to depend on others for receiving organ donation. The burden of searching for donors, checking the compatibility between the cells of the donor and the recipient, being alert about the signs of graft rejection and the risk of death have become almost zero due to the scientific progress.
Stem cells are the specialized cells that have the ability to develop into any type of cell. Even in some cells they have the ability for internal repair. They can develop into any type of tissue due to their pluripotency. This feature of the stem cells is used to replace various organs of the body. The affected or the diseased organ in any individual can be replaced by the same organ by taking the stem cells of the same person. The group of cell can develop into heart, brain, kidney or any organ that may be diseased in an individual.
The three main types of stem cells are embryonic, adult type of stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic type of stem cells is the cells that are procured from the blastocyst stage before implantation of the zygote into the uterus. Being too immature type of cell they require special signaling in order to develop into a particular type of cell. If these cells are injected directly into a person they may divide in a haphazard manner, leading to formation of tumor. Embryonic stem cell therapy has greater chances of rejection as transplanted organ as the cells are not mature enough to be recognized as own cell by the body.
Adult stem cells are the cells which are normally used for autografts. Thus the chances of rejection are lesser in this case. Large numbers of patients are being treated every year for bone cancer or blood cancer with the help of adult stem cells.
Induced pluripotent stem cells are those cells which are forced to convert into embryonic like stem cell (Gelifesciences.com, 2015).
The use of stem cell for the treatment of spinal cord injury has been done extensively all over the world. Umbilical cord derived stem cells are used for the treatment post accidents. At times the patient’s own bone marrow is used for the purpose. These reduce the chances of graft rejection. The stem cells can be used to prevent further damage at the site of injury; to promote growth of new cells to replace the older damaged ones (Eurostemcell, 2015).
Not just in spinal injuries, but all major kind of organ failures can be dealt with the proper use of stem cell therapy. It is a boon to the mankind by the science. Further success in the intervention process can do wonders and save millions of lives. Although there are cases where stem cell therapy could not prove its worth. But such instances are lesser; the success stories speak for themselves. Lives have become insured due to the advancements. People are now even suggested to preserve the umbilical cord cells at the time of the birth of the newborn. This will ensure a lifetime protection of the new born. Special banks are made for the purpose. They aim at storing the umbilical cord cells with all the detailed birth records of the newborn, so that in case of any mishappenings later in the life of the child, he can be provided with the required organ. As the cord cells are the child’s own cells, chances of rejection are almost nil. This is a method by which a child is protected for all his life at a very nominal cost without much hassle. Scientific discoveries and new technologies can further add up new features to the therapy. May be in near future more development can be foreseen. People can be more secured and assured about their life. The need for finding and waiting for a suitable donor will diminish totally. People need to be more aware about the services and their availability at their locality level. Still a huge population has no clue regarding the process and the principle of the therapy. People need to know about the importance and the success rate associated with the therapy so that they can rely on and invest in the miraculous theory. The awareness will enlighten the people so that they can save themselves and their near ones. Lives can be saved by the technique without much of risk and doubts. It is one of the safest mode of transplantation of organs as somehow the donor himself is the recipient of the organ, thus the chances of immune rejection is low.

REFERENCES

EuroStemCell,. (2015). What can stem cells do for spinal cord injuries?. Retrieved 19 February 2015, from http://www.eurostemcell.org/faq/what-can-stem-cells-do-spinal-cord-injuries
Gelifesciences.com,. (2015). Types of Stem Cells. Retrieved 19 February 2015, from http://www.gelifesciences.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/catalog/en/GELifeSciences-us/applications/types-of-stem-cells/