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03/11/2007: "Getting To Know Stem Cells"

At the clinic I attend in Germany, they also work with stem cells. While sitting in their waiting room and talking to their doctors I have learned a little bit more about them and thought I would share. They are certainly at the center of a lot of controversy and political fire, yet few know what they, how they might be collected and what their potential is for saving lives.

All of us have stem cells working in our body. They are found in our bone marrow and are the foundation cells that can grow and replace any cell in our body. Since we started as a single celled organism, those cells divided and eventually became the human body. So an undifferentiated stem cell can become anything. As we age and the wear and tear takes place, our own stem cells produce new muscles cells, heart cells, stomach cells, etc. The older we get, the more our bodies wear and the less stem cells we produce.

Stem cells introduced into the body have the potential to created new repaired tissue. There are trials going on now where donor cells are being injected into failing hearts and are creating new tissue to repair arteries and muscle. There has been success with blood-based cancers such as Leukemia where donor stem cells are injected and created healthy blood. Christopher Reeves campaigned for stem cells because they have the potential to re-grow damaged spinal column tissue. Michael J. Fox knows that they can be injected into the brain to cure Parkinson’s Disease. There is also hope for Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and immune system dysfunction.

Stem cells are in great supply within an embryo (embryonic stem cells) and in a fetus (eight weeks after fertilization until birth). Naturally, this is where the controversy lies as people are uncomfortable with the prospect of harvesting cells from babies. However, there are some opportunities that may not be so controversial. For instance, in an artificial insemination clinic large numbers of eggs are fertilized yet only a few are used. Embryonic fluid contains a strong concentration. Also, scientists have found that the blood in the umbilical cord contains a great deal of stem cells. A 100ml sample can contain tens of millions of these undifferentiated stem cells. These can be collected soon after delivery with no disturbance to the mother or baby. They are then stored cryogenically for up to 20 years.

Exciting new work is being done in the area of harvesting, culturing and using our own stem cells to inject into needed areas of our bodies. Adult stem cells can be harvested from our bone marrow, blood, cornea, retina, brain, liver, stomach and pancreas. However, adult stem cells are rare and collection, usually through bone marrow does not always produce enough vibrant cells that can change into any tissue.

In the field of cancer, more research and time may someday allow us to be injected with cells that go after our tumors and knock them down. I am proud to be in a progressive state where our legislature and governor understand the potential of this type of work.