Stem Cell Therapy    
    Stem cell treatment and stem cell therapy may be considered    controversial and are, perhaps, viewed as akin to science    fiction by some people. However, stem cell treatments have been    used regularly in veterinary practice since 2003 for the repair    of bone and tissue damage, and have a wealth of research    highlighting their efficacy in both humans and other animals.    Stem cells are found in plentiful supply in embryonic tissue,    but are also found in adult tissues. These cells have the    ability to self-renew, giving rise to countless generations of    new cells with varying abilities to differentiate into specific    cell types. By introducing stem cells into an area of damage or    pathology, the body can be encouraged to repair and renew    regardless of how old the trauma is. Stem cells also show    application for inhibiting the death of cells (apoptosis)    through disease, making them candidates for use in treating    degenerative illnesses such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Multiple    Sclerosis, Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers.  
        Stem cells from embryos are considered more    flexible in terms of their ability to become either new liver    cells, new neurons, new skin cells, and    so on, whereas adult stem cells tend to be    more restricted to the tissue type from which they were taken.    New research is showing that this might not necessarily have to    remain the case however, with the plasticity of adult stem    cells now under investigation. Stem cell use carries little    risk of the resulting tissues being rejected, it appears safe,    efficient, and almost endless in its possibilities for    application.  
      Potential Stem Cell Treatments    
    Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, spinal    cord injury, and cancer, among others, are considered possible    candidates for stem cell treatment. Cures for some of these    diseases could be closer than previously thought with clinical    trials already showing impressive results where stem cells have    been used in cases thought intractable. The rapid rate of    progression in research and clinical use means that some of the    controversial issues, such as the use of embryos as a source of    stem cells, have been overcome, with governments around the    globe subtly altering their legal policies in order to    accommodate new scientific advances. In the US, Bill Clinton    was the first president to have to consider the legal issues    surrounding stem cells, and subsequent presidents have been    forced to readdress the issues time and again in line with    medical discoveries. Worldwide, governments have remained    generally cautious over the use of this technology but are    gradually improving funding access, whilst keeping an eye on    the ethics of stem cell treatment, in order to explore the    tremendous benefits that appear possible. The credibility of    research remains a concern, with some stem cell studies    discredited by ethics committees after initial general    acceptance of their veracity.  
    Stem cells may be garnered from living adult donors and,    indeed, already are in the case of bone marrow transplants.    More usually they are taken from discarded embryos leftover    after IVF treatment, or from the placenta after birth.    Previously the removal of stem cells resulted in the    destruction of these embryos, but now it is possible for    scientists to remove the stem cells without this occurring.    This development negates some of the criticism faced by the    technology from religious groups and ethical bodies over the    sanctity of life and the attribution of sentience and autonomy    to embryos, gametes, and the foetus.    Clearly, some debate remains about these issues in relation to    stem cell research, but recent improvements in methodology may    remove the need for these considerations completely. Clinicians    have demonstrated the possibility of taking adult stem cells    and seemingly teaching them to become cells of a different    type to their site of removal, effectively returning them to a    similar state to that of the embryonic stem cell. Whilst stem    cells from embryos remain more reliable and more economical to    work with, the use of adult tissue-derived stem cells could    revolutionize the research in this field.  
    As well as stem cell use in pathology and disease, there are    also applications in personal aesthetics such as the    regeneration of hair follicles and an end to baldness through    stem cell treatment. Stem cells are also considered useful in    regenerating the skin after injury, without the scarring    usually associated with repair. There are reports of paralyzed    patients becoming mobile after years in a wheelchair through    the use of stem cells injected into the spinal cord, and the    rapid disappearance of tumors in brain tissue after stem cells    were injected.  
    Stem cell treatment provides an exciting possibility to change    the face of modern medicine, alleviating pain and suffering,    and improving the prognosis for millions withe diseases    previously thought incurable.
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Stem Cell Treatment  Stem Cell Therapy  Stem Cell Research