New Advances in Medicine you probably did not know about-
The progression of stem cell research
Imagine a life where no one gets old at least unless they want to, if your heart is failing there is nothing to worry about as you can simply place your order for a new one and no I’m not bluffing. That time is coming sooner than we may think with the knowledge of stem cell application.
There are new advances in medicine that allow for radical developments in medical therapeutics that you probably did not know about. A team of scientists participated in a panel discussion during the 2018 World Science Festival where they shared their development in research and prediction in medicine for the near future. These developments are quite fascinating to include; the regrowth of an entire limb that was removed, creating a human organ such as the heart from scratch, and using 3d printing to make different organs. Just the thought of growing a new organ to replace the ailing one is like the rebirth of a human. It was predicted during the festival that the first human lung would have been ready in two years and the Heart in 5.
What are Stem Cells?
I’ve been reading about stem cells since I was a teenager but never paid much attention until recent times.
Stem Cells are specialized blood cells that can change into any form, they basically do not have a specific purpose so can play any role in the body. Stem Cells are found throughout the body in different organs and tissues such as the brain, blood, skin, bone marrow, heart, muscle, and liver. They remain dormant in the body until needed for the regeneration of lost and damaged tissues. If a piece of your fingertip gets cut off; stem cells and other cell types get to work in ensuring you get the proper repair. They basically participate in the body’s natural repair function such as skin and muscle reformation.
Scientists are now learning how they can manipulate these cells to treat diseases, even the ones deemed untreatable.
Where are we today with stem cell research?
Fast forward to today, success is now closer than ever to creating human organs using 3D printing, scientists are using Nano Technology to Detect Bone Stem Cells, they even repaired a damaged spinal cord recently. Though the organs for humans are not ready as yet in the laboratory setting, scientists have successfully made rat kidneys from stem cells, this means the possibilities are still promising and are coming soon.
Because of the potential of stem cell research, a number of chronic and fatal conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure, corneal damage, and type 1 diabetes can now be treated or have the potential to be cured.
Nerve damage patients can get treatment- Not too long ago, anyone with nerve damage would be written off as a poor prognosis for recovery. When the superman actor (Christopher Reeves) fell off his horse and was later paralyzed from the neck down, many efforts were made to rehabilitate him, but all those attempts eventually failed. Though still in the experimental phase, there are many successes with the treatment of nerve damage using stem cells; this shows how far we still have to go with the regeneration of nerve tissue.
Stem Cell Research today is showing great promise in treating these three complex diseases:
1) Acute leukemia-a blood cancer arising from a type of white blood cell.
2) Aplastic Anemia- a condition where the red blood cells are not properly made.
3) Neurological disorders like, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple myeloma, stroke, burns, and spinal cord diseases.
Conclusion
Human life as we know it can be changed forever with the possibilities of these new developments. The question is how far can researchers go with their findings; soon certain chronic conditions, even aging will be a thing of the past. Because stem cell research is such a hot-button topic, there will be ethical implications of course among other controversies, but it also stimulates black market activities related to this topic. The concept of growing a new heart or kidney is such an alluring thing for money and the need for strict regulations is another thing to consider in the future of stem cell advancement.
