Cristina Rodriguez 14-8017

Genetics
Section 60
Stem Cell Research
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential of turning into
specialized cells as they divide, meaning they are multipotent. (Santos, M. J., &
Ventura-Junc, P, 2012) In the bone marrow, for instance, stem cells divide in
order to replenish the damaged tissue. As a result, they help maintain and repair
the bodys function by replacing other cells in the human body. These cells
represent a form of regenerative therapy because under specific conditions,
scientists can control the structure so that they can become specific tissue and
replace the damaged ones. They show a way in which health care can be
improved. In turn, as advancements, new trials, and experiments on this topic
continue to arise, the chance for development on new treatments for many
conditions, such as heart disease, continues to grow. (Musina, R. A., Yegorov, Y.
Y., & Belyavsky, A. V., 2004)
Stem cells can be classified into two main categories: embryonic stem
cells and non-embryonic or adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are produced
when a newly fertilized egg begins to divide. (American Medical Association)
These cells have the ability to distinguish and turn into any type of cell in the
body. Sources of embryonic cells include embryos created by in vitro fertilization,
early embryos created by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) germ cells or
organs of aborted fetus, and blood cells of the umbilical cord at time of birth.
Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are stem cells that are found in the
developed tissue. The bone, skin, muscles, brain, and the hand are sites for adult
stem cells, however, research on this stem cell is incomplete and moving slowly
because it is hard to maintain control of its division and differentiation abilities
under experimental conditions. (Mayo Clinic, 2013)
The goal of stem cell research is to understand a form of using cell-based
therapy for regenerative medicine, or to treat disease. In addition, scientists are
using stem cells in the laboratory for new drugs and to study normal growth and
find out the causes of birth defects. In addition, the use of stem cell to treat
cardiovascular disease is a currently growing, very active scientific field because
using stem cells to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue is a strategy that shows a
lot of promise and potential. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes
hypertension, coronoary heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. It
deprives the heart tissue of oxygen, killing cardiac muscle and eventually leading
to heart failure and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the number one cause of death in the United States since the early
20th century is heart disease. In fact, in 2010, 596,577 died of CDV. Moreover, as
continuous risk factors such as obesity and diabetes type 2 continue to grow,
cardiac problems will become a greater. Thus, it is important to develop new
treatments and potential therapies for this condition.
The main goal of cardiac stem cell therapy is to transplant enough cells at the
damaged site in order to restore back its function. There are various approaches
used in order to deliver the stem cells depending on the kind of patient and the

severeness of the condition. For instance, a transvascular approach is used to

treat patients with infarcted myocardium. The cells can be injected intravenously
or in an intracoronary infusion and directed to a specific area. These cells will
have a great possibility of remaining in the injured myocardium due to adhesion
molecules. Another form is injecting the stem cells directly into the patients
ventricular wall, which would offer a direct visualization of the myocardium and
the cardiac zones that show scarring. (Bajada, S., Mazakova, I., Richardson, J.,
& Ashammakhi, N., 2008).
Recent clinical trials have been done in order to test different cell types,
however they have been in a small scale and thus are very limited as real
scientific evidence. On April 2014, Medical News Today reported Cochane
Librarys review on stem cell therapy and its effectiveness in treating heart
disease. The article reported that within the first year of receiving stem cell
therapy the patience did not see any benefits over standard treatment. Once
past the 1-year period, investigators found that around 3% of people who
received stem cell therapy died, compared with 15% of people who received
standard or no treatment. In addition, 2 in every 100 people who were treated
with stem cells were re-admitted to the hospital, compared with 9 in every 100
who received standard treatment. (Whitman, 2014) The results were taken from
23 controlled trials covering over 1200 participants. These results are clear
evidence that stem cell treatment may benefit people who suffer from heart
disease. However, in the interview with Whitman, Dr. Martin Rendon from NHS
Blood and Transplants in the UK added that even though those findings were
very positive, further investigation needs to be completed.
In conclusion, stem cells as described by Clevelands Clinic, are natures
own transformers. These structures have the capability of specializing and
becoming any specific type of cell found in the body in order to restore and
regenerate its functions. The two main type of cells found in the body are
embryonic stem cells, and adult stem cells, which can be further subdivided
depending on the specific kind of tissue and where it can be found in the body.
Stem cells importance in medicine is continuously growing as researchers find
new ways in which it can be used to treat different conditions. This field is even
more important because of their potential in health problems such as cancer,
diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Stem cell therapy, as mentioned
before, is a very good potential form of reducing the mortality of cardiovascular
disease. Continuous trials and investigations are being made in order to find a
potential form of using stem cell to increase the living condition of the growing
group of people affected by CVD. Nonetheless, many questions remain to be
answered before this form of therapy is actually proven as beneficial.

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