Ahsan Arsalan0612103

Stem CellsPresent in almost all multi-cellular organismsNo specialized functionalityCan renew themselvesCan differentiate into many cell types

Types of Stem CellsAdult Stem Cells

Present in tissues or organs

Can differentiate into cells of the tissue or organ they are present in

Manipulation into other celltypes is the key

Types of Stem Cells (Cont.)Embryonic Stem Cells

Pluripotent cellsObtained from the blastocystMostly obtained through

In Vitro FertilizationAnother potential method

is Nuclear Transfer

Stem Cell ResearchBrief History

At the start of the 20th Century it was discovered that all blood cells came from a “stem cell”

Presence of stem cells was shown in 1963In 1968, the first bone marrow transplant was

performedStem cells were discovered in human cord

blood in 1978In 1998 James Thompson developed the first

embryonic stem cell linesToday countless research studies are going on.

Adult stem cells are being used in treatments.

Stem Cell ResearchClinical Treatments

Research on Embryonic stem cells is yet to yield any clinical treatment

Adult stem cells have been used in used in treating over a hundred conditions

Stem Cell ResearchClinical Treatments

Repairing Heart MusclesIn June 2009 Doctors at the

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute for the first time used a patient’s tissue to grow stem cells and then inject them back in an attempt to once again grow a healthy muscle which was damaged in a heart attack.

Stem Cell ResearchClinical Treatments

Windpipe TransplantIn March 2010 a ten year old boy in Britain underwent awindpipe transplant with the windpipe created from his ownstem cells.

Stem Cell ResearchClinical Treatments

Reversing Multiple SclerosisRecently scientists been able to

find a way reverse the impairments caused by multiple sclerosis using stem cells.

Stem Cell ResearchEthical Issues

Main controversy and debate surroundsEmbryonic stem cells

Destroying an embryo also meanstaking away the possibility of life that existed in it

Should a compromise be made on the possibility of life in order for the improvement and help of already existent life?

Does an embryo have a moral status of a human being?

Stem Cell Research in PakistanTreatments of Heart Diseases using

adult stem cells have been carried out

Liver associated diseases caused byHepatitis B or Hepatitis C have been treated

Recently in interior Sindh, two doctors were able to treat a patient with lower leg mobility impairment through universal regenerative therapy

More support of the Pakistani Government is required

Role of Bio-InformaticsIdentification of stem cells and their natureGrowth of stem cells in laboratoriesMatching whether a cell being created is a

copy of the originalDatabases for storing vast information about

stem cellsHelps in knowing the resulting outcome of

changes made to a cell

Role of Bio-Informatics (cont.)An example is the creation of a software

by an engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) that can not only predict the types of specializedcells a stem cell will produce, but also foresee the outcome before the stem cell even divides.

Future of Stem Cell ResearchMore treatments for diseases and

impairments like Cancer, Diabetes and Brain Damage just to name a few are expected

Ways for eliminating the controversy regarding Embryonic stem cells are being researched for

Amniotic stem cells could become a source for embryonic stem cells

Stem cells could also become the main way of drug testing in the future

Questions?