People generally have the desire to live longer. As such, there are organizations that fund researches to discover new and effective ways to prolong life. The introduction of stem cell research in the field of medical science has been touted as one of the greatest advancements in treating diseases and alleviating suffering.
Stem cells have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for a long time; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized types of cells. Compared to other cells like blood cells, muscle cells or nerve cells, stem cells can multiply many times more. Because of their ability to develop support to other cells in the body, stem cells are effective in treating diseases. Aside from its healing property, stem cells are also effective in pain management, as well as in disease prevention.
Adult stem cell therapy refers to the use of adult stem cells to treat diseases or to improve the patients’ condition and ease their suffering. It is also known as regenerative medicine. The procedure is somewhat the same with organ transplant, but it uses cells instead of organs. In the medical practice today, organs and tissues are often used to replace impaired or destroyed ones. Unfortunately, the demand for organ and tissue transplants far outweighs the available supply.
The stem cells have two functions in the body. First is to replace dysfunctional bone marrow. For example, aplastic anemia is a noncancerous disease wherein the bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells. The stem cell transplant procedure will involve getting rid of the dysfunctional bone marrow through very potent drugs or radiation, after which healthy stem cells are infused. If there are no complications, the new stem cells transplanted into the bone marrow will start working normally. The next function of the stem cells is to destroy unhealthy bone marrow. The immune factors brought about by the transplanted cells will help seek out and eliminate cancer cells present in the bone marrow.
Stem cells manipulated to differentiate into specific types of cells offer the possibility of a new source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases. Some of the medical conditions that can benefit from stem cell treatment include spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.
The use of stem cells offers an exciting promise for future therapies, but important technical barriers remain. There is still a need for encompassing and intensive research on the matter – one that’s conclusive enough to clarify and settle all the issues surrounding the stem cell therapy – for good.
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