Saturday, October 9, 2010

Stem cells have the potential to cure a number of medical disorders

Only a few breakthroughs have been made in the field of biomedical sciences without controversies. Use of stem cell technology has triggered the hottest debate between scientists and the ethical groups. Ethical groups are opposing stem cell technology, particularly embryonic stem cell technology, as it involves the destruction of living human embryos.

However, new scientific breakthroughs have revealed that menstrual blood is an easy available and rich source of stem cells that are as potent as other adult cells found in other sources such as bone marrow.

Menstrual blood stem cells have the astonishing potential into several cell types in the body during the early stage of life. They serve the purpose of internal repairing and replacing of dying or dead cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell possesses the potential either to become a specialized cell with a new function such as a brain cell, or to remain a stem cell.

As the menstrual blood has now been discovered as the source of abundant stem cells, the possibility of treating several potential medical disorders and diseases got a massive boost. During each monthly menstrual cycle, a woman shed billions of stem cells that can be easily accumulated, processed and cryo preserved to be used in several future potential cellular therapies. Self-renewing stem cells bridge the gap between the origin of the body, i.e. fertilized egg and the adult body it becomes. Vital menstrual blood stem cells that possess the potential to replenish and renew worn out, damaged as well as diseased tissues.

The research has proved the need to preserve menstrual blood, which has so far been discarded as biological, unhygienic waste, because it is a source of stem cells that could potentially be used to test new drugs. New medications can be tested on these before using them on humans for treating cellular diseases. Stem cells greatest potential is their capability of generating transplantable tissues and organs that could be used to replace below par or damaged tissue and organs. Currently, donated tissues or organs are transplanted to replace ailing or damaged organs, but the demand always outstrips supply.

Furthermore, stem cells have the potential either to cure or ameliorate a wide number of medical disorders and diseases such as acute leukemia, osteoporosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, inherited metabolic disorders, refractory anemia, Alzheimer’s diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. Medical researchers hope that one day stem cells would be used to cure even different types of currently incurable cancers.

Menstrual blood banks are being set up to allow women to store their own stem cells to insure their future health. Thus there is a convincing reason for women to store menstrual blood as their vital menstrual blood could empower them to take control of not only their own future health, but also of their first-degree relatives such as children and parents.

Research in the field of stem cells

Regardless of severe criticism from ethical groups, research on stem cells has been gaining support from scientists and many governments around the globe since the study in the field started with the vital findings by Ernest A McCulloh and James E. Till at the University of Toronto in 1960s.

Stem cells can help in finding treatments for life-threatening medical conditions as they have unique renewing and regenerating capability. But, ethical groups are claiming that extracting stem cells from human embryos by killing them is inhuman.

However, research has already proved that several vital stem cells can be extracted from the menstrual blood during the menstrual cycle. Menstrual blood that has usually been dispose of as unsanitary waste can be used to receive self-renewing stem cells that can be preserved to be used in numerous potential cellular therapies. Retrieving these cells is as invasive as harvesting adult stem cells from other possible sources such as embryo and bone marrow.

Stem cells in menstrual blood of women are capable of improving the quality as well as duration of the life by treating several potential medical disorders and diseases. When the fresh growth of tissue and blood vessels is shed during menstrual cycle, some cells with capability of repairing and renewing the building blocks of the body are present and collectable.

The support for research in the field of stem cells gains more importance from the fat that the whole humanity is reeling under the shadow of numerous incurable and incapacitating medical disorders and diseases. Stem cells are capable of replacing injured or disabled cells in some adult tissues like that of brain, muscles and bone marrow. The use of life-saving stem cells can enhance the chances of finding treatment for these life-threatening medical conditions and can discover new possibilities in our lifetimes. Stem cells from menstrual blood are not only capable of benefiting the donor in treating potential medical conditions, but also donor’s first-degree such as children and parents, and in some cases even the second-degree relatives.

Menstrual blood stem cells can be stored to accumulate, process and cryo-preserve to be used in more than a few potential cellular therapies. When the isolated menstrual blood undergoes the process of cryo-preservation, Stem cells in menstrual blood gets frozen in time which allows menstrual stem cells to maintain their capability and potential for years and perhaps decades to come.

The vital stem cells from menstrual blood can be used to treat future potential disorders and diseases such as breast cancer, heart stroke, diabetes, inherited metabolic disorders and many more. In addition, a number of neurological disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease and spinal cord injury can also be treated with preserved stem cells.

Thus stem cell technology has opened gates for women to new hopes of building their personal healthcare and wellness chattels by cryo-preserving their menstrual blood Stem cells.

Life-saving stem cells

Stem cells feature two important characteristics that make them distinct from other cells. The first distinctive characteristic is their ability to renew themselves through cell division and the second is their capability of being induced to become tissue or organic-specific cells with specific functions.

Life-saving menstrual blood stem cells can be harvested during the menstrual cycle. New research have already proved that menstrual blood, which has typically been get rid of as unsanitary waste, can be used to receive self-renewing stem cells that can be easily accumulated, processed and cryo-preserved to be used in several potential cellular therapies.

Women can isolate menstrual blood that comes out from the lining of their uterus during monthly cycle to use them for renewing the building blocs of their bodies. The importance of these menstrual blood stem cells gains more weight from the fact that they are not only capable of repairing and renewing the building blocks of the body to which they belong, but also of the bodies of their first-degree relatives.

The inner cells in a three-to-five-day old embryo gives rise to several important organs and specialized tissues such as the lungs, skin, eggs, sperm, heart of the organism. Isolated swarm of adult stem cells replaces injured or disabled cells in some adult tissues such as muscles, brain and bone marrow.

Stem cell research has been facing opposition from the side of several ethical groups, but they should keep in mind that currently there are more than seventy disorders and diseases, including acute and chronic leukemia, refractory anemia, stem cell disorders, osteoporosis and several inherited metabolic disorders, which are either cured or ameliorated through stem cell therapies or transplants. Stem cell International reviews and publishes information on all areas of stem cells.

Given their exceptional capability of renewing and regeneration, stem cells offer new potentials for curing numerous prevalent diseases such as heart stroke and diabetes. But, much research work is yet remains to be done to determine how to use menstrual blood stem cells effectively to treat such diseases.

Lack of facilities and services for menstrual blood storage is also a stumbling block in the progress of stem cell-based therapies. There are only a few menstrual blood banks available that enable women to go for menstrual blood storage, and they also are too expensive to be affordable by many. I would recommend you to go for Celle for their menstrual blood stem cell banking.

It is interesting to take notice here that the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled recently that federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research can continue, a development that would definitely provide a boost to the research and facilities in the field.

Research on stem cells is one of the most enthralling areas in the field of modern biology; however, hardly it makes new discoveries, when new scientific questions arise.