Important discoveries within the history of stem cell research

The beginning of stem cell research
From 1958 and up until today the research and discoveries within the stem cell field has evolved a lot. This article will give an insight on the research done within the field. Stem cell is a research field getting a lot of publicity. One hops that in the future stem cells can be used to create new organs and body parts. A lot today’s medicine can give side effects which reduces the patient’s life quality, and scientists hope that stem cells can provide an entirely new kind of medicine, without any side effects.

Stevens working at a laboratory in Maine was the first person to identify pluripotent tendencies in cells. The same year he also published his work on mouse teratocarcinomas. In 1970 Stevens sees that the mouse primordial germ cells that gave rise to teratomas, resemble cells of earlier embryos and when transplanted into adult mice tissues can differentiate into teratocarcinoma cells. In 1975 Beatrice Mintz and Karl Illmensee, from the institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia, determines that ES cells can give rise to organisms, as well as teratomas (Garland Science).

Early development of in vitro fertilization
In 1934 doctor Gregory Pincus at the Harward University managed to achieve in vitro fertilization of rabbits. This achievement suggested that a similar type of technique can be applied to humans. By achieving this in 1934 he was ahead of his time and as a result, he got a negative reputation. He was even described by the media as a modern Dr. Frankenstein. Twenty-five years later, in 1958 Dr. Min Cuheh Chang published a study showing that rabbit eggs developed in vitro could develop as rabbits born conventionally. The study led to the acceptance of in vitro fertilization in humans, as a clinical infertility treatment. During the 1950 to 1970 Dr. Chang studied a variation of animals, such as rabbits, rats, mice and hamsters. In this period he identified main assumptions for in vitro fertilization to be successful, especially related to reproduction. The ten years from 1950 to 1960 were said to be the most significant time in the history of in vitro fertilization (Bavister 2002).

Pluripotent stem cells, what?
The rapidly moving research on stem cells is built upon already existing knowledge that is being modified to create new facts and principles. The isolation of pluripotent stem cells, meaning cells that have the potential to differentiate into almost any part of the body, was a major discovery. The isolation of pluripotent stem cell provided the possibility to produce a full range of cell types at an early stage of the embryos development. Scientist have in less than a decade made huge progress in the possibilities of pluripotent stem cells. The opportunities have expanded from being able to isolate and grow pluripotent stem cell from early embryos in the laboratory to regenerate the pluripotent cells. The advanced research within stem cell therapy makes it now in principle possible to reconstruct or replace diseased tissue as well as for gene therapy. Pluripotent stem cells, also known as embryonic stem cells have set and will continue to set the standard for pluripotentiality research. But the promise is being held by the induced stem cells, which is a type of pluripotent stem cells that are forced to express a specific gene (Trounson 2009).

Hematopoietic and embryonic stem cells
Studies on hematopoietic stem cells have uncovered that the hematopoietic stem cell contains a lot of unique properties, not yet found in other cell types. It has for example a self-renewal division and a division inhibiting the structures that pull a cell apart when it divides leading to a production of the same stem cells. An important founding on adult hematopoietic stem cells is that they give rise to many other cell types in the blood. Biologist have through the development of embryos searched for an answer on how a complex organism evolves from a single cell to the fertilized egg. One frequent used strategy in the development of embryonic stem cells is to see the use of embryonic stem cells to help generate and maintain a given tissue or organ (Rossant 2009).

In the future
To treat patients using stem cells, preclinical studies of animals is being conducted to understand the patients clinical condition. It is highly desirable to understand the biological mechanisms underlying the observed therapeutic effect, before treating a patient. One of many fascinating aspects within stem cell research is that it could lead to the development of new therapies for human disorders that currently can not be effectively treated. All fields within stem cell research is now quickly progressing. At the same time it is important to point out that stem cell therapy can only treat a very small number of human conditions. So far there are hematopoietic stem cell transplants, leukemia and stem-cell-based treatments for burns and corneal disorders. All other clinical applications are now still in the experimental state. A big issue concerning the stem cell identity has been brought up and questioned whether stem cells exist as a defined clone in each organ is whether they are being sustained throughout the development of the organ, or if stem cells are a product of organ function to maintain each organ.

Sources:

1. Garland Science
http://www.garlandscience.com/textbooks/cbl/stemcell/corematerials/timeline.html Hentet 21 februar 2011.

2. Bioteknologinemda
http://www.bion.no/temaer/stamceller/#s2 2010, hentet 31. januar 2011.

3. Bavister B, “Early history of In vitro fertilization”, Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, and the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, New Orleans, 2002.

4. Il-Hoan O, Dong-Wook K, “Three Dimensional Approach to Stem Cell Therapy”, J Korean Med Sci, 2002.

5. A Trounon, in Lanza R, “Essentials of stem cell biology”, 2nd ed. Academic press, Canada 2009.

6. Rossant J, in Lanza R, “Essentials of stem cell biology”, 2nd ed. Academic press, Canada 2009.

7. Lindvall O, in Lanza R, “Essentials of stem cell biology”, 2nd ed. Academic press, Canada 2009.

~ by cupcakeswonderland on April 13, 2011.