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Stem Cell Therapy
Stems cells have been recognized as a wonder drug as they provided a ray of hope to diseases where mankind had become hopeless. Thus ever since they were put to test for scientific evidence of response, more and more research has been done in the field. This has included both experimental research and clinical research. The 21st century belongs to regeneration medicine and stem cells.
This chapter aims to review the literature on the role of stem cells in various diseases with emphasis on neurologic diseases amenable to stem cell therapy (SCT). It will try to describe the mechanism of action where there is enough evidence to support it. The ethical concerns will also be discussed with insights into the future of stem cell treatment.
Hypothesis of Stem Cell Research
Stem cells have been seen as agents that may help to make new cells or repair cells lost in many diseases that are caused by loss of functioning cells. SCT is thus a variety of cell-based therapy also referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine. In future, stem cells may become the basis for treating diseases such as Parkinson disease, diabetes, and heart disease.
Stem Cell
A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell in the body with an undetermined function. It remains as such till it receives a signal from the body to get specialized toward a particular cell type. Stem cells can divide and renew themselves for long periods of time.
Historical Background
In 1981, mouse embryonic stem cells were grown in the laboratory. However, it was later in 1998 that James Thomson isolated cells from the blastocyst at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and thus developed the first human embryonic stem cell lines. During the same time, John Gearhart at Johns Hopkins University reported the first derivation of human embryonic germ cells from the primordial germ cells. Most of the current knowledge on embryonic stem cells has emerged from in vitro fertilization technologies and basic research on mouse embryology.
The clinical applications of SCT have been explored with interest. Active stem cell active research is going on with various animal models of clinical diseases. Autologous bone marrow stem cells have been used in various pilot studies for various disorders like cardiomyopathies, diabetes, bony disorders, biliary atresia and choledochal cyst (cirrhotic livers), spina bifida, multicystic kidney, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. In India, The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, has been a pioneer; with the help of a centralized stem cell facility, various specialties including cardiothoracic, ophthalmology, pediatric surgery endocrinology, surgery and orthopedics have used stem cells in more than 1000 patients now, including neonates and infants for various disorders since the past 12 years.
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