Stem cells are a special type of cell. These cells have the ability like all other cells, to duplicate themselves, but they also have another ability that is special to only them. They are able to duplicate and turn themselves into another type of cell found in other places of the body. They could become brain cells, bone cells, heart muscle cells and many others. These stem cells can be found in almost all corners of the body. There are many types of stem cells, each with its own unique ability and function. There are a lot of interests in stem cells, and that is for good reason too.
Scientists use stem cells to figure out how they can best understand the progression of diseases by keeping a close eye on the development of stem cells in different parts of the body infected by certain diseases. Another reason for the high interest in these cells is because their existence could possibly mean replacing infected cells with new and healthy cells. This can be possible because the stem cells can develop into any other cell in the body, so if a part of the body is infected by a disease, the infected cells can be removed then replaced by stem cells to take over their place and function, so in turn, stopping any possibility of the disease being spread further to other cells and other parts of the body. In this article, I will be discussing and further expanding into stem cells and their functions, as well as regenerative medicine and how it could possibly help restore dead and weak cells with newer fresher ones via stem cells.
History
For a long time, stem cells have been believed to only develop into cells of the same organ in which the stem cell is located, but now we know that they can actually develop into fully mature cells of many other organs and parts of the body. They also develop into ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. These 3 are the primary germ layers that form all the tissues and organs in the body. Back in 1960, a couple of scientists studied bone marrow cells from guinea pigs, this research gave rise to a different perspective on stem cells. Other studies and experiments done throughout time have further shaped our understanding of stem cells and how they work. Due to all the research done, for over 60 years the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) has been the major therapy used for curing many genetic and hematological disorders.
Classification
- Toti-potent: These cells develop into every type of cell found in the organism and can develop into the 3 germ layers of an embryo.
- Pluri-potent: These, similar to toti-potent, also have the ability to develop into every cell type in an organism.
- Multi-potent: These cells can develop only into a closely related family of cells from a particular group of cells.
- Uni-potent: These cells have the least developmental potential as they can only develop into one cell type, but they are still very valuable in the treatment of many diseases.
- Embryonic stem cells (ESC): These cells are found in the blastocyst and are the reason all cells form in the development of a human embryo. This means they have an extraordinary abilities in cell regeneration due to the fact that they are the original makers of all cells that come from a human being from birth. Though, there is limited research done on them due to the ethical concerns of experimentation on embryos.
- Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC): These cells develop and create cells found in the blood and cells of the immune system, and they can withstand freezing for many years.
- Tissue specific/Adult: These cells have been found to be able to develop into different germ cells of the 3 types available, they have also been proven to be very helpful in regenerative medicine.
- Cancer stem cells (CSC): These are cancerous stem cells found within tumors or hematological cancers, it is reported thatfor any cancer to spread around the body, it must contain these cancerous stem cells, as they are the cause and method for it to spread around the body or parts of the body.
- Mesenchymal stem cells(MSC): These cells like many other stem cells develop into many other cells and germ cells as well (Cona, L. A., MD.).
Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is the research and methods used to restore dead, or damaged tissue from any part of the human body that requires it. The reason stem cells are so important in the field of regenerative medicine is because stem cells, after lots of research and experimentation, are known to be able to develop themselves into many different cells and so in turn tissue from all parts of the human body. Using stem cells for regeneration will be a great help in making it so that we do not need to look for specific cells from a specific part of the body to restore and heal infected or damaged cells and tissue.
The importance of stem cell research, specifically MSC, is as follows.
- Immunomodulatory properties: MSCs have the ability to suppress the immune system’s reaction which could really help with regulation and reduction of inflammation. This is particularly helpful when a patient is undergoing an organ transplant or the treatment of an autoimmune disease.
- Therapeutic potential: MSCs are great at developing into many different cell types and they easily duplicate which has proven to be very helpful for treating many diseases, including strokes, cancer, and inflammatory disorders.
- Optimization of therapy: Once we understand and figure out how MSC targets specific parts of the body to generate and duplicate, we will be able to use this in a way that’ll benefit regenerative medicine greatly.
- Expansion and scale of MSC research: In vitro means research done on living organisms and in vivo means research done on lab dishes and test tubes. MSCs are known to be very expandable in vitro and vivo, this makes them very versatile and can be produced on a large scale if ever required without many inconveniences.
- Efficacy and efficiency: There is still much research yet to be done to improve overall efficacy and efficiency of MSCs, but one thing that is well established is the safety of MSC in clinical trials.
- Combination treatments: It is very important to look at and research combination therapies and treatments in relation to MSC, for it may prove to be even more helpful as a combination with another effective treatment than by itself.
- Regulation and ethics: As with every medical innovation and research at trial, it is important to consider the risks and ethical concerns involved. Once these concerns are taken care of or well accounted for, it will make for an easier path at the continuance of the research for the further development and improvement of the human race.
Areas of application
Heart failure is a major issue in many of our societies today, becoming an ever critical medical topic to try and tackle. L. Lilyuckily for us, there have been many studies on regeneration done with stem cells like MSC to help revitalize cells and tissues damaged by heart failure and other related issues. There was a study done on ovine(sheep) models that showed that transplanted blood cord stem cells helped in improving the function of the heart that had been suffering from heart failure. Another study done showed that MSC helped in dilating cardiomyopathy, which is a hereditary disease that makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood to one’s body, all by allowing angiogenesis to occur and preventing cardiac fibrosis. These are respectively, the process in which new blood vessels are formed from old ones and a condition that causes a person’s heart tissue to thicken and scar (Wang et al, 2024).
MSCs are great sources of growth and regeneration making them really effective and good at healing wounds. Wounds are something everyone gets manythroughout their lifetime and with the help of our body’s cells, they always heal fully. There are larger wounds though that may need a little bit more help. Stem cells would then be a great help in such situations as the surrounding cells are either too few or too damaged.
Many studies have been done on dental pulp-derived stem cells (DPSC) that have shown its ability to help in regenerating teeth. The DPSC can also be used in regenerative medicine for other parts of the body with similar properties.
As well as the ones mentioned above, there are so many other places in which stem cells have been and are continuously being studied to help in regeneration. A couple more of these are:
- Improvement of spinal cord injury
- Regeneration of retinal sheet
- Hepatic cell formation
- Formation of insulin secreting ß-cells
- Brain and cancer treatment
- Muscle regeneration
- Regeneration of bladder tissue
- Healing of orthopedic injuries
- Krabbe’s disease treatment
- Correction of neuronal defects
- Regeneration of kidney tissue
- Vision restoration in AMD
- etc.
Conclusion
All in all, there seems to be quite a bright future for stem cell research and regenerative medicine. With more research and experimentation, we might be able to improve the efficiency and efficacy of stem cells in promoting the stem cells to migrate to our desired area of injury and promote their developmental features to specific tissues that require it. So far, we have been able to figure out that stem cells like MSC are easy to isolate, are safe to transport to our desired site of injury, and have the ability to regulate the immune system’s reactions. All these qualities are very helpful and will continue to be helpful in furthering our research on stem cells.
With lots more time and funding from the appropriate sources, stem cell research can go a long way, as there is still so much we need to clarify and understand before we make any sure conclusions. Though as mentioned before, stem cell research and regenerative medicine seems to be going in a great direction and will in the future prove to be a promising solution to many diseases that are very hard or costly to treat. With more understanding and research, we can even get to a point where stem cell regeneration will be easily and quickly accessible to anyone that may need it, so they can be treated accordingly with little to no complications.
References
Cona, L. A., MD. (2024, June 5). Stem cell Research: The Future of Regenerative Medicine (2024).
Mahla, R. S. (2016, July 19). Stem cells applications in regenerative medicine and disease therapeutics.
Mayo Clinic. (2024, March 23). Answers to your questions about stem cell research.
Rajabzadeh, N., Fathi, E., & Farahzadi, R. (2019, July 18). Stem cell-based regenerative medicine.
University of Nebraska Medical Center (n.d.). Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. Regenerative Medicine.
Wang, J., Deng, G., Wang, S., Li, S., Song, P., Lin, K., Xu, X., & He, Z. (2024, February 8). Enhancing regenerative medicine: the crucial role of stem cell therapy.
