TOP 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STEM CELLS

 You might have heard about bone marrow transplants, right? Bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant is used to treat a few types of blood cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. The procedures are often named after the source of stem cells. In this article, we will try and cover a few things about stem cells and their potential. 

Types of Stem cells – 

Usually, 2 types of stem cells are found in our body. One is present during the embryological stage, hence named embryonic stem cells. The other one is adult stem cells. Let’s dive in a little more. 

  • Embryonic Stem Cells – These cells are derived from embryos grown in vitro. They caught a lot of attention as they are minimally manipulated and still in the growing stage. They are pluripotent, hence they can be modified into more than one category of cells. 

  • Adult Stem Cells – In an average adult, every organ has certain types of progenitor cells, which gives rise to cells or tissues specific to that organ. They are multipotent cells. Fully developed adult stem cells are found in bone marrow, skin, and any organs. Another type of adult stem cell is induced pluripotent stem cell. These stem cells are isolated and modified in a laboratory to function like embryonic stem cells. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells were first modified in 2006, but very les research evidence is present as of now. 

Where are stem cells sourced from? 

Stem cells come from three main sources, depending on the type of transplant done.

  • Bone marrow – Bone marrow is the storehouse of stem cells in our body. It’s main task is to produce and circulate blood cells throughout our body. The extraction of stem cells from the marrow is done to collect sufficient amount of stem cells. After extraction, these cells are stored in deep freezer. When they are needed, stem cells are thawed and injected into the vein of patients just like blood transfusion. 

  • Bloodstream – Blood doesn’t contain as much stem cells as bone marrow. However, hormone like infusions can make them divide in the blood of donor. After the extraction, stem cells are filtered and stored until the patient is ready. It may take several appointments to get sufficient stem cells. 

  • Umbilical Cord Blood- After the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord and placenta contains sufficient blood that can be stored and used for transplantation. The stem cells present in cord blood may be less in number, but they can differentiate much faster. 

Types of transplant – 

Types of transplants can be classified under 2 types based on where the stem cells are sourced. 

  • Autologous transplantation – In this type, patient’s own stem cells are used. Stem cells are isolated from their own bone marrow and treated in vitro, if required. Then, they are transferred into the patient’s body itself, mostly injected. 

  • Allogenic transplantation – In allogenic, stem cells are collected from a donor. It is note worthy that the patient’s and donor’s tissue type should match, in most cases donor is a close relative of the patient’s, usually brothers or sisters. In some cases in which a good match is not found among immediate family members, stem cells are taken from unrelated donors. Donors donate stem cells through national portals to stem cell bank for times like this. One risk associated with it is the immune cells of the donor may not attack the cancer cells alone, chances are there they may attack healthy cells of the patient as well. 

Stem cell treatments are available for – 

  • Metabolic disorders. 

  • Lymphoma. 

  • Multiple myeloma. 

  • Anemia and it’s type. 

  • Leukemia. 

  • Neuro-degenerative diseases. 

Are you an eligible candidate for stem cell treatment? 

It is hard to decide whether to proceed with the treatment or not because stem cell treatment benefits but not everybody. Stem cell treatments for cancer have proven to be quite effective for many patients all around the globe. On the other hand, many have died due to complications from stem cell treatments. The unanticipated risks makes it more difficult to decide. 

Therefore, it is best decided by an experienced medical team who will weigh the benefits and risks associated with it for you. The type of disease, age and sex of the patients, donor type, cost of treatments are some of the deciding factors. It is your responsibility to express yourself and know what are your expectations and concerns. It is really important to make healthy relations with yourself and your medical team. 


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