Cells from the Soil

Samuel Schradin

There have been copious advances in the field of regenerative medicine, but none so impressive and impactful as stem cells. Stem cells are naturally occurring, programmable cells that are found within the human body. They can be used for a multitude of applications, including cancer research, diabetes research, and treatments for many other debilitating and degenerative diseases. In recent years, progress on this research has exponentially increased. As the demand for more biomedical treatments increases alongside the natural life expectancy of our society, so does the funding and interest in research topics such as stem cells.

Stem cells come in a variety of forms and classifications. These include adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and perinatal stem cells. Adult stem cells are the most common form of stem cell and are naturally occurring within our bodies. They are manufactured in the body as the “support system” within different tissue, muscle, and organ systems. Repair, regeneration, and stability are maintained by these cells, which are often used in research for specific types of cell-based therapies. Adult stem cells are specific to their place of origin. Stomach stem cells are used to repair stomach tissue, liver stem cells are used to repair liver tissue, and the same is consistent with the rest of the human body. Unfortunately, they are not applicable to other areas of the body. This is where the next classification of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, comes into play. 

Embryonic stem cells are harvested from the early stage embryo, more specifically from the inside of the blastocyst, and can be utilized for a multitude of functions. The most prolific and promising area of study regarding this type of cells is in tissue engineering. Due to the adaptability and malleability of these cells, they can be used for any purpose that they are designed to fulfill. Embryonic cells also respond well to programmed stimuli and replicate easily due to their nature. An issue that has arisen from these cells is due to the ethical issues of their origin. As abortion becomes an increasingly contentious issue in the U.S., so does the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells. Although embryonic stem cells seem to yield higher efficacy in research and clinical trials, scientists have proposed an alternative to address the controversy: induced pluripotent stem cells. 

Induced pluripotent stem cells are the result of utilizing different cell transcription factors to reprogram adult stem cells into “embryonic-like” stem cells. These cells can accomplish the same tasks and can achieve the same level of diversity that embryonic stem cells can achieve without the controversy. These cells are especially prevalent in diabetic research. According to the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, type one diabetes, due to its complex genetic make-up, is difficult to develop general and personalized cures. Fortunately, “iPS cells are genetically identical to the original patient, so all of the mutations that predisposed an individual to T1D are present” (HSTI). IPS cells are able to be utilized to account for all forms of change within the individual they are taken from. Another benefit of these cells is the low rejection rate since they come from the patient themselves. With this genetic manipulation comes risks, the most prevalent of these being the genomic instability within these cells, leading to a higher risk of mutation.

The final classification of stem cells comes in the form of perinatal stem cells. These cells are derived from the post-birth resources, such as the placenta, the umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid. Perinatal stem cells lack the controversial aspect of other stem cells and have a low mutation risk. However, they are not pluripotent, have a higher rejection rate, and aren’t as studied as the other forms of stem cells. However, they have high efficacy for bone and tissue regenerative medicine, and are believed to outpace some embryonic stem cell treatments. With regard to amniotic fluid stem cells in particular, research published in the World Journal of Stem Cells states that, “promising results in terms of structural and functional outcomes highlight the true clinical potential of AFSCs in cell-based therapies and tissue engineering perspectives” (Si, Wang, Shen). Hopefully, these cells can be researched further and biomedical professionals can find more uses for these cells, as well as ways to manipulate them to fulfill the tasks necessary for future research and clinical trials.  

All in all, stem cells are wildly fascinating, constantly changing, and a rapidly growing source of study and wonder within the biomedical and biological communities. There does not seem to be a lack of demand for these cells, and the prospect of curing degenerative and fatal diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and many more, will fuel the scientific fire of progress for many years to come.

















Works Cited

“Diabetes.” Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), 9 Mar. 2022, hsci.harvard.edu/diabetes-0.

Si, Jia-Wen, et al. “Perinatal Stem Cells: A Promising Cell Resource for Tissue Engineering of Craniofacial Bone.” World Journal of Stem Cells, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4300925/. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scaling the Potential of Vertical Farming Going into 2025 and Beyond

Image
  Matthew P Kearney Scaling the Potential of Vertical Farming Going into 2025 and Beyond      Vertical farming may seem like something out of a futuristic movie, but they are very real in today’s agricultural industry. Vertical farming may promote a stronger relationship between urbanization and sustainable crop production. Based on recent innovations across agriculture and technology, vertical farming has the potential to revolutionize our current farming system. Through the development of vertical farming-based production lines, cities and otherwise unfarmable areas can be provided with fresh, local, and pesticide-free produce. Vertical farming and other adaptations of agriculture are not new ideas, but instead a historic and human process.      These technologies are ready to meaningfully address global food security through the technological and computational advancements in agriculture. Vertical farming has a promising future, which becomes a case...
Read more

Knot Your Average Problem: How do Tongue Ties Impact Oral Myofunctional Health?

Image
  Hadia Hussain      Knot Your Average Problem: How do Tongue Ties Impact Oral Myofunctional Health? Sitting in the nursery of the dental office where I worked, I reviewed Baby V’s medical history and reports from the Emergency Department at Jersey City Medical Center. I found it odd that, despite multiple visits and clear signs of malnutrition, no physician had been able to diagnose the cause. Baby V, at a low weight of 12 pounds was struggling with difficulty nursing and bottle feeding, excessive gassiness, colic, clicking sounds when feeding, milk dribbling out of the mouth, and mouth breathing—but doctors had dismissed these signs, labeling him as "healthy."  It didn’t make sense as his low weight raised serious concerns.  According to Pediatric specialists Jenny Olson, DNP, and Sarha DeVrieze, ARNP, at the UnityPoint Clinic, a 9-month-old baby boy should weigh anywhere in between the range of 17 to 25 pounds. Baby V's situation was clearly a ...
Read more

Crisis to Care: NJ’s Battle with Addiction and Homelessness

Image
Vrinda Modi Crisis to Care: NJ’s Battle with Addiction and Homelessness      “Roll a rig!”, I hear over the radio a second after the tones drop. As an EMT in Hoboken, it's all too common for me to respond to at least one 911 call per shift for an individual under the influence passed out on the sidewalk—usually flagged by a concerned bystander or a police officer who believes they might need medical attention. More often than not, the real issue isn't just medical; it's societal. These individuals, often homeless, have become part of the city’s landscape, invisible to most but impossible to ignore. When I ask for their address, it's almost always the local shelter. When we arrive at the ER, we’re often greeted by familiar eye-rolls from disgruntled hospital staff. The ER clerk barely glances up, lets out a sigh, and asks, “Substance abuse?” I nod. “Who is it this time?” By now, the hospital staff know each chronic substance abuser in the city by name. Behind the hospit...
Read more