Stem Cell Therapy
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that diabetes mellitus is a disease which is in seventh place in causing death among the 190 million citizens suffering from it in the United States. Thus, it is interesting to know that stem cell diabetes cures which aims to rejuvenate pancreatic cells appear to produce positive results by curing the organ connected with the production of insulin as well as regulating it.
Stem Cell Diabetes: What is it?
Since it is the immune system of the body which harms the cells, which are known as the Islets of Langham, which controls the levels of sugar in the blood; diabetes is said to be an auto-immune disease. The cells from the pancreas sends out insulin so that the levels of glucose in the blood can be controlled if it ever increases too much.
Stem cells can be obtained from three sources and one of them have received much protests:
The stem cells which have brought much protest from those who believe that embryos have the right to life are the Embryonic Stem Cells. These protesters feel very strongly that it is morally wrong to kill an embryo so as to get its stem cells. Another reason for the protest is the uncertainty of success with their use.
However, scientists prefer the use of embryonic stem cells as these cells are able to develop into any part of the body; they can develop into tissues, an organ as well as cells inside the body. Unfortunately, cells from an embryo can change after they have been put into the body and so, scientist need to find out how they can control the development of the cells to be perfectly sure about this treatment.
Another kind, known as the adult stem cells, can be given by a donor or the stem cells from the patient. Scientists hope to transplant adult stem cells into the pancreas.
Stem cell hope for diabetes – Video Guide
Differences between the three types of stem cells:
Embryonic and adult stem cells are different. Adult stem cells can only be used for the part from which they are taken from; so a pancreatic adult stem cells can only be transplanted into a pancreas. They are unable to become cells in another organ. They cannot become different kinds of cells.
Therefore, cells obtained from the pancreas of a donor ought to be able to produce cells for a pancreas that needs to be rejuvenated.Embryonic stem cells have the problem of changing as they grow in the body after transplanting.
The Pluripotent Stem Cells and iPS Stem Cells is the third kind which scientists are using. They are skin cells which have been genetically altered by the process of reprogramming DNA which was developed in 2007.
Just like the embryonic stem cells, the iPS stem cells can develop to become any kind of cells inside the body. However, all three types of stem cells face the same problem of being unable to control its growth as well as the risk of them changing into cancer cells.
The possibility of success with stem cells, regardless of their origin, is great once control over their development is overcome.