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Everyone has heard of stem cell research and how some scientists believe that stem cells can be used to treat, cure or fix certain diseases and conditions like cancer and cerebral palsy, but now stem cell therapy is also being linked to developmental disorders like autism.

But what are stem cells?

Stem Cells

Stem cells are cells that are found in most multi-cellular organisms and they are characterized by their ability to self-renew through a process called “mitotic cell division” and the way that they can differentiate into a wide range of specialized cell types in the body.

There are three types of stem cells:-

• Adult stem cells - These cells are also known as somatic stem cells or germatic stem cells and are found in adults and children. Adult stem cells have been used in research for many years and are used to treat bone and blood cancers like leukemia, through bone marrow transplants, and are also used to treat ligament and tendon injuries in horses. Adult stem cells can actually be obtained from the recipient themselves, via autograft, so this obviously reduces the risk of rejection and is not fraught with the ethics and controversies of using embryonic stem cells.
• Embryonic stem cells - Embryonic stem cells, or ES cells, are cells that are “harvested” from embryos which are at the blastocyst stage (4-5 days after fertilization). ES cells are “pluripotent” meaning that they can differentiate into all of the types of cells in the body, whereas adult stem cells can only form a limited number. The use of embryonic stem cells is controversial because taking the cells destroys the embryo
• Cord blood stem cells - These stem cells are found in umbilical cord blood and are known as “cord-blood-derived embryonic-like stem cells” or CBEs. Scientific research has shown that these stem cells have the advantages of embryonic stem cells (they are more versatile than adult stem cells) without the disadvantage of having to destroy an embryo. Cord blood stem cells can be saved at birth, stored and even multiplied without any harm to the baby or mother. With cord blood stem cell “banks” becoming more popular, it will mean that it will be easier to find tissue matches for patients needing stem cell treatment.

That sounds complicated doesn’t it? Well, to put it more simply, stem cells are the building blocks of our body. In an embryo (at blastocyst stage), they are like tiny blank slates, meaning that they can change into any cell, tissue or organ of the human body. These little, but powerful cells get busy creating all the parts of the body that the developing fetus will need. In us adults, they are our repair kits of toolboxes, regenerating cells which have been damaged by daily wear and tear, injury or disease.

The Medical Use of Stem Cells

Due to their amazing powers and capabilities, known in the medical world as “plasticity” or “transdifferentiation”, stem cells are being used to treat many different types of diseases and are also being used in research.

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