Stem cells are capable of
dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood
cells, or nerve cells—which do not normally replicate themselves—stem cells may
replicate many times, or proliferate. Regardless of their source—have
three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves
for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized
cell types. Stem cells have been successfully isolated from variety of human
tissues including orofacial tissues.
Initial evidence from pioneering studies has
documented the likely breakthrough that stem cells offer for various
life-threatening diseases that have so far defeated modern medical care.
Scientists are still under the process of
understanding the several unanswered questions related to stem cells as stem cell treatment is the most
promising therapy for many devastating degenerative diseases. Anemia, leukemia,
lymphoma are some of the blood related disorders treated through stem cell
treatment in India.
Now
the question that strikes into the mind of every reader is what are stem cells.
The answer is - They are unspecialized cells with an extraordinary ability to
self-renew, capable of differentiating into one or more specialized cell types
playing a crucial role in homeostasis and tissue repair. Based on their origin, stem cells are
categorized either as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or as postnatal stem
cells/somatic stem cells/adult stem cells (ASCs). Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)
are derived from embryos that are 2–11 days old called blastocysts. They are
best grown from supernumerary embryos obtained from in vitro fertilization centers. Adult stem cells are found in most adult tissues.The
plasticity of an adult stem cell is described as its ability to expand beyond
its potential irrespective of the parent cell from which it is derived. For
example, dental pulp stem cells not only develop into tooth tissue but also
have the ability to differentiate into neuronal tissue.
Depending
on their origin, adult stem cells can be further classified as hemopoetic stem
cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Stem cell treatment for many
diseases are now the most reliable and effective method to cure it.
No comments:
Post a Comment