Stem cell therapy has been a field of much concern to many scientists and scientific facilities for a very long time. This therapy uses stem cells to treat and prevent conditions and diseases in both humans and animals. This medication is still under intensive research and most of the treatments discovered are still not in any use. Most stem cell treatment centers practice bone marrow transplant.
Bone marrow transplant is more advanced making it to be used more than other treatments. It treats blood disorders such as lymphoma and leukemia cancer patients. Higher levels of efficiency and accuracy are still achievable through more research. In future, treatments for deafness, missing teeth, heart diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, neurodegeneration, blood cell formation, infertility, baldness, and other conditions will be found.
Stem cells used in treatment are derived from various sources some of which have raised a lot of concerns among critics. Of all the cells, the major ones used are the embryonic stem cells which are isolated and cultured from embryos. Critics argue that derivation of such cells promote abortion and human cloning. Another way of creating cells involves the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques and induction of pluripotent cells.
Treatments which are formed basing on transplanting of cultured umbilical cord blood continue to face challenges and criticism in marketing. This is because this field is highly criticized. The controversies lead to lack of finances by research facilities, which shut done later while researchers are discouraged . Some treatments which would be complete by now are hindered by the challenges.
Therapy works through regeneration of damaged or lost cells in the affected area. Cells are introduced in the affected area where they stimulate formation of lost body cells. This effect has been determined to be able to treat conditions that lead to brain degeneration such as amyyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinson disease. In the same way, normal body tissue can be generated to replace the typical scar tissue that forms on wounds.
Many people have high hopes in these therapies but they do not understand the technicalities involves. First, one must understand that human and animal bodies have stem cells of different types which perform specific functions in human body. This limits their ability to treat more than one condition especially if the conditions are unrelated. Tissue specific cells only perform the function they are meant for and specialized in.
Various therapies use very complicated techniques to introduce the cells into the body. The introduction process is itself very risky and involves a lot of risks to the patient. After the cells are derived from the body, they are cultured in before they are reintroduced into the body. The culturing targets to instruct the cells to behave in a given way once introduced into the body. Such instructions may fail causing severe effects.
It is very expensive to go for the therapy too. Lack of finances therefore limit the number of people that can afford the treatment. This makes the majority to seek other treatment options.
Bone marrow transplant is more advanced making it to be used more than other treatments. It treats blood disorders such as lymphoma and leukemia cancer patients. Higher levels of efficiency and accuracy are still achievable through more research. In future, treatments for deafness, missing teeth, heart diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, neurodegeneration, blood cell formation, infertility, baldness, and other conditions will be found.
Stem cells used in treatment are derived from various sources some of which have raised a lot of concerns among critics. Of all the cells, the major ones used are the embryonic stem cells which are isolated and cultured from embryos. Critics argue that derivation of such cells promote abortion and human cloning. Another way of creating cells involves the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques and induction of pluripotent cells.
Treatments which are formed basing on transplanting of cultured umbilical cord blood continue to face challenges and criticism in marketing. This is because this field is highly criticized. The controversies lead to lack of finances by research facilities, which shut done later while researchers are discouraged . Some treatments which would be complete by now are hindered by the challenges.
Therapy works through regeneration of damaged or lost cells in the affected area. Cells are introduced in the affected area where they stimulate formation of lost body cells. This effect has been determined to be able to treat conditions that lead to brain degeneration such as amyyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinson disease. In the same way, normal body tissue can be generated to replace the typical scar tissue that forms on wounds.
Many people have high hopes in these therapies but they do not understand the technicalities involves. First, one must understand that human and animal bodies have stem cells of different types which perform specific functions in human body. This limits their ability to treat more than one condition especially if the conditions are unrelated. Tissue specific cells only perform the function they are meant for and specialized in.
Various therapies use very complicated techniques to introduce the cells into the body. The introduction process is itself very risky and involves a lot of risks to the patient. After the cells are derived from the body, they are cultured in before they are reintroduced into the body. The culturing targets to instruct the cells to behave in a given way once introduced into the body. Such instructions may fail causing severe effects.
It is very expensive to go for the therapy too. Lack of finances therefore limit the number of people that can afford the treatment. This makes the majority to seek other treatment options.
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