Adult And Embryonic Stem Cells

Anyone who has lived in the last few decades have seen many changes that have taken place in almost all parts of human existence. Some of these changes have brought about greater discoveries which have improved the quality of life for many people around the world. During the last ten years, there has been a large rise in stem cells research which has led to evidence of their remarkable potential. However, the use of stem cell in particular embryonic stem cells still remains a very controversial topic.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to divide and differentiate into many different kinds of cells. According to the national institute of health (2015), when a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either …show more content…
For instance, since the 1960s, blood stem cells have been the only kind of adult stem cell that have often been used for treatment in procedures such as bone marrow transplant. Stem cell transplants are generally used as treatment when the bone marrow is no longer capable of producing healthy blood cells and is damaged. For example, it is used to treat conditions such as lymphoma and leukaemia and works by replenishing the damaged blood cells. An allogeneic transplant involves taking stem cells from the bone marrow or blood of one person and transferring them to somebody else. Alternatively, it is possible to use your own stem cells if they have been removed and stored and transplanted back later once any diseased or even damaged cells are removed, this is known as an autologous transplant. However, stem cell transplants can be difficult, there are substantial risks involved. Such as, Graft versus host disease (GvHD) in which the transplanted cells begin to target the other cells in the body. There is a possibility of GvHD arising a few months after the transplant, but sometimes can also happen one or two years later. The condition is often mild but can occasionally be