Everyone, at some point in their lives, is touched by serious diseases and disorders, either directly or through someone that is loved, a family member or dear friend. It is no wonder then, that medical science and research has often been a ray of hope. Stem cell research has become one of those beacons of light. Stem cell research is a promising field of research that has the potential to someday result in cures for a wide range of devastating human diseases and disorders.

Stem cells in the lab help scientists to understand how normal human development works and give great insight into how to correct the body when things go wrong. The general principle is that the stem cells replace the damaged, lost, or diseased cells through regeneration. A current example is that stem cells in bone marrow is routinely used to treat leukemia and other blood disorders. This new field of study is known as Regenerative Medicine.⁽¹⁾ In theory, it is hoped that Regenerative Medicine could cure such diseases such as heart disease, Parkinson's, diabetes, and other degenerative conditions and immune system related conditions. Stem cells are currently being used to model diseases and to screen new drugs, but more research is needed to understand the full potential of what science can unlock from stem cells.⁽²⁾

Stem cells are the body's 'master' cells and can renew themselves. They can also make a variety of other kinds of cells. The cells begin as unspecialized cells that have the ability to renew themselves. Stem cells can become any type of organ-specific cells with unique functions.⁽³⁾

There are several different types of stem cells and their characteristics vary. Some types of stem cells come from sources that require the destruction of fetuses or embryos. Other types of stem cells can be taken from adult skin, brain, bone marrow, blood vessels and many other sources that don't require the use of fetuses or embryos.⁽⁴⁾ There are some types of stem cell treatments that are already being used to treat diseases and conditions. Other types of stem cell treatments require more research before they can safely be used on humans. There are a number of overseas clinics that advertise promising stem cell treatments for diseases but these practices have not undergone proper clinical trials to prove their efficiency and may cause serious side effects.⁽⁵⁾

The essence of hope that is involved in medical research is what keeps pushing for solutions to so many horrible human diseases and conditions. Despite that hope that we all share in, caution in research and trials is necessary. It is certainly true that the information science continues to discover just goes to show that this frontier is promising and exciting and there is so much more in the future, a future that may well hold the solutions to diseases we have come to accept as inevitable.

References

1. European Science Foundation, Human Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine-A European Perspective on a Scientific, Ethical and Legal Issues. May 2010
2. Stem Cell Basics: Where can I get more information? In Stem Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009 [cited Tuesday, July 06, 2010] Available at http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics7
3. lbid
4. lbid
5. Fact Sheet on Stem Cells, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Canada, Retrieved July 6, 2010, Available at http://www.als.ca/