Why Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Important

Biology 103

Stem cells are known as the foundation of our bodies, and without them we would be unable to repair various organs or tissues whenever they may become damaged. Stem cells are very extraordinary cells because after division and a new cell is created, they are able to either remain a stem cell or turn into an even more specialized cell such as a muscle cell, red blood cell, or brain cell. Until recently, there were only two major types of stem cells, known as embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. More recently, scientists have been able to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Human embryonic cells were first isolated and cultured in 1998, and scientists have made noteworthy progress ever since. Embryonic stem
IPS cells are a recent breakthrough in stem cell research and still in the early stages of the developmental process. IPSCs are great because ideally they will work in the same ways of embryonic stem cells, without the ethical controversies. Human iPSC’s were first introduced in late 2007, while they had been working on iPS cells in mice the previous year or so. “The discovery of iPSCs also raised hopes that cells could be made from a patient’s own skin in order to treat their disease, avoiding the risk of immune rejection. However, use of iPSC’s in cell therapy is theoretical at the moment” (Cox, 2012). Although the idea of iPSCs are incredible, there are still other negative factors that may cause problems. If an iPSC is not fully matured when transplanted, the risk of this cell causing cancer is much greater. IPS cells have the ability to have great significance in the field of stem cell research in the near future, but more research and understanding is required before any human therapeutic options are
An estimated 30,000 people are affected by HD and is common in both men and women and all ethnic groups. Currently, there is no treatment for HD, and recently, Neuroscientists Joen and colleagues conducted an experiment with the use of iPSCs for the treatment of Huntington’s disease in lab rats. Their hypothesis was not listed in this experiment. IPSCs were transplanted into immune-competent rats during the early, mid, and late stage of the disease phenotype and observed up to 90 days post-transplantation. The independent variables of their experiment were the iPSCs and the stage of the disease in which they were transplanted during. The dependent variable of the experiment is the impact the iPSCs have on Huntington’s disease. Results from this experiment were concluded that when inducing the stem cells, there was no obvious rejection and no tumors were observed at the site of transplantation. Also, when iPSCs were induced at mid and late stages of the disease phenotype, iPSC therapy reduced HD symptoms through the replacement of lost neurons. In conclusion, iPSCs have been observed with positive impacts on Huntington’s disease, although many more hours of research and lab experiments are still needed before human treatment is put into