In 2013, the leading cause of death in the United States was heart disease, making up 23.5% of total deaths (Leading 1). Severe angina is one form of heart disease which causes severe chest pain and affects nearly one million people in the United States alone (Your 1). Around a third of these people cannot be treated the usual way with bypass surgery or angioplasty, leaving them to struggle with even the simplest activities. Douglas Losordo, a professor at Northwestern University and cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, held a clinical trial with 167 patients with severe angina (Your 1). He took a patient’s own stem cells and injected them in 10 different areas on the heart. The goal was for the stem cells to help repair tiny blood
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Originally, stem cells were found in bone marrow. This was the first real evidence that they could be used in medicine. Scientists have been using stem cells harvested from bone marrow in transplants for over 40 years now (Stem Cell Basics 4). In 1968, the first successful transplant paved the way for countless leukemia patients. In 1998, Jamie Thomson and others working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison created the first embryonic stem cell line. However, the public was not okay with destroying embryos for research. In 2007, an alternative to ESCs was discovered: induced pluripotent stem cells. With each new clinical trial and experiment, scientists continue making advancements in stem cell research, making the future full of …show more content…
They can be directed in a lab to differentiate into cells and tissues of different organs, which could be potentially beneficial to people on organ transplant waiting lists (Stem Cell Basics 7). There are far more people on waiting lists than there are organs available for transplant. Treatments based on stem cells, which can divide indefinitely, offer the potential to cut down on how many people are on these lists. If scientists can research them more, it is possible that stem cells could be used to form tissues used to treat spinal cord injuries, heart disease, arthritis, and many other conditions. Stem cell therapies could also be beneficial if they come from the patient’s own cells (Aldridge 1). This would make it easier for the body to accept the treatment and would result in fewer complications. Clinical trials have already proven that it is possible to treat many diseases using stem cells. A few of these have been successful in treating different types of blindness, knee problems, and heart disease (Aldridge 1). There is still much to be learned about stem cells, but they are already proving to be
Originally, stem cells were found in bone marrow. This was the first real evidence that they could be used in medicine. Scientists have been using stem cells harvested from bone marrow in transplants for over 40 years now (Stem Cell Basics 4). In 1968, the first successful transplant paved the way for countless leukemia patients. In 1998, Jamie Thomson and others working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison created the first embryonic stem cell line. However, the public was not okay with destroying embryos for research. In 2007, an alternative to ESCs was discovered: induced pluripotent stem cells. With each new clinical trial and experiment, scientists continue making advancements in stem cell research, making the future full of …show more content…
They can be directed in a lab to differentiate into cells and tissues of different organs, which could be potentially beneficial to people on organ transplant waiting lists (Stem Cell Basics 7). There are far more people on waiting lists than there are organs available for transplant. Treatments based on stem cells, which can divide indefinitely, offer the potential to cut down on how many people are on these lists. If scientists can research them more, it is possible that stem cells could be used to form tissues used to treat spinal cord injuries, heart disease, arthritis, and many other conditions. Stem cell therapies could also be beneficial if they come from the patient’s own cells (Aldridge 1). This would make it easier for the body to accept the treatment and would result in fewer complications. Clinical trials have already proven that it is possible to treat many diseases using stem cells. A few of these have been successful in treating different types of blindness, knee problems, and heart disease (Aldridge 1). There is still much to be learned about stem cells, but they are already proving to be