short notes on the future implications of stem cell technology??
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Stem cell technology is a rapidly developing field that combines the efforts of cell biologists, geneticists, and clinicians and offers hope of effective treatment for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Stem cells are defined as totipotent progenitor cells capable of self renewal and multilineage differentiation.1 Stem cells survive well and show stable division in culture, making them ideal targets for in vitro manipulation. Although early research has focused on haematopoietic stem cells, stem cells have also been recognised in other sites. Research into solid tissue stem cells has not made the same progress as that on haematopoietic stem cells. This is due to the difficulty of reproducing the necessary and precise three dimensional arrangements and tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that exist in solid organs. However, the ability of tissue stem cells to integrate into the tissue cytoarchitecture under the control of the host microenvironment and developmental cues, makes them ideal for cell replacement therapy. In this overview, we briefly discuss the current research and the clinical status of treatments based on haematopoietic and tissue stem cells.
Summary points
Stem cells are progenitor cells that are capable of self renewal and differentiation into many different cell lineages
Stem cells have potential for treatment of many malignant and non-malignant diseases
Peripheral blood stem cells are used routinely in autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
Gene transfer into haematopoetic stem cells may allow treatment of genetic or acquired diseases
Embryonic stem cells may eventually be grown in vitro to produce complex organs
Neuronal stem cells are being used for neurone replacement in neurovegetative disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntingdon's diseases
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