Since Stem Cells are a hot topic right now, I thought I would do some research to learn more and try to find a site that has general information that was not slanted to either support or not support this research. It took a few sites, but I think I have found one that pretty well explains how, what and why.
This is not meant to support or criticize the issue. It is only for information. Thank you for being respectful with your replies.
If you know of other sites that are "non-judgemental" on this topic please feel free to share them.
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Q: What are embryonic stem cells?
A: A stem cell is a pluripotent cell, meaning an undifferentiated cell that can develop into any kind of tissue. It is usually taken from an embryo that is in the early developmental stage. The cells at this stage have not declared themselves what to become. With programming they can develop into a specific chosen cell line - such as hair, skin, muscle or bone cells, when they further divide.
Q: Why are stem cells so important?
A: They proliferate (multiply) indefinitely in culture, which means they could provide an unlimited source of virtually any other type of human cell. In theory, if stem cells can be grown and their development directed in culture, one could grow cells such as bone marrow, neural tissue or even heart muscle.
Q: Where do embryonic stem cells come from?
A: They come from fertilised embryos less than a week old.
Q. Why are stem cells so valuable?
A: They are extremely hard to come by. The most useful cells come only from early embryos.
Q: Where do the embryos come from?
A: They are 'surplus' embryos from couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation. When couples undergo IVF, there are usually many more embryos produced than can be implanted. Sometimes surplus embryos are discarded; other times, they are donated to help other infertile couples or for research such as this.
Q. Why not do this research with non-embryonic stem cell lines?
A. Non-embryonic stem cell lines involve cells that are more differentiated and less capable of being programmed into various cell lines. Simply put, as the cell line ages it loses its capability to differentiate itself into various tissues and thus is less useful.
Q: What did the latest research show?
A: Using embryonic cells, scientists established five cell lines that were capable of prolonged, undifferentiated proliferation in culture and yet maintained the ability to develop into a variety of specific cell types, including neural, gut, muscle, bone and cartilage cells.
Scientists hope that stem cell research will lead to cures for such diseases as heart disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, and perhaps even spinal cord regeneration, to name a few. However, stem cell research has not been used to cure any diseases at this time.
Q: How are stem cells used to treat disease?
A: Some diseases, such as Parkinson’s or diabetes, are caused by cell defects. Replacing the faulty cells with healthy ones grown from stem cells offers the hope of lifelong treatment. Similarly, injecting healthy cells to replace damaged or diseased cells could shore failing hearts and other organs, in theory, up.
Q: Are there other potential uses?
A: Drugs could be more easily tested, as researchers could grow pure populations of specific cell types involved in certain diseases. Then these cells would act as a proving ground for drugs. Ramped-up stem cell technology would permit the rapid screening of thousands of chemicals.
Q. Is federal funding vital for stem cell research?
A. Federal funding is not necessarily vital for stem cell research, however scientists spend a lot of their time raising private funds for research that could be better spent on the research itself. Many scientists believe that if federal funding is approved, breakthroughs will be made much more rapidly. Also, society will lose much of the control over the controversial issues concerning the use of embryonic stem cells, if federal funding is not allowed for this kind of research.
Q: What can these cells tell us about development?
A: Human embryonic stem cells will offer new insights into the events that occur at the first stages of development -- insights that could help in preventing or treating birth defects, infertility and pregnancy loss. For instance, testing drugs on cultured human embryonic stem cells could help reduce the risk of drug-related birth defects.
Q: Can these cells make a woman pregnant?
A: No. If a cluster of these cells were transferred to a uterus, they would fail to implant or develop.
http://groups.msn.com/CellNEWS/faqwhatisstemcells.msnw How it changed my life:It gave me basic information to which I can draw from to develop, what I feel is, a healthy opinion for myself on this delicate topic. You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or
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