Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Consortium, which collaborates the work of nine laboratories, as well as funds an
international individual grants program. Several of the labs involved in the Research
consortium focus on stem cells, making a lot of progress. The Salk Institute, run by
Dr. Fred Gage, examines the progenitor cells differentiating into glial cells. Someday
they hope to manipulate these progenitor cells, inducing differentiation into
neural cells.
There are a lot of people who find stem cell research extremely unethical.
Scientists have found the most success with ES cells taken from embryoid spinal
cords: although the ES cells are taken from embryos consisting at most of 64 cells,
they still have the potential to develop into a human being. People who believe life
begins at conception remain morally against stem cell research. Justification is that
the stem cells are derived from embryos discarded from fertility clinics. These
embryos would be wasted if not used for stem cell research. Spinal cord injury
research represents a new and rising field—more progress has been made in the last
5 years than in the previous 50. This sudden success resulted from the new under-
standing of stem cell technology. The concept of stem cells has gotten a lot of press
lately—from Time Magazine to the television show South Park. The realization that
stem cells have the potential to differentiate into neural cells opens new doors,
destroying the accepted idea that adult neurogenesis is not an option. With these
new possibilities, stem cell research has evolved into an exciting new field. There is
a lot of room to grow—who knows what new discoveries the future will bring. The
difficulty with treating spinal cord injuries arises from a number of factors. Firstly
there is the primary damage to the axons of the spinal cord itself, resulting in
mechanical damage that can inhibit neurotransmission and transport of cellular
material to and from the distal cord. The damaged cord must also compensate for
secondary damage such as the generation of free radicals, a lack of oxygen to the
affected area (anoxia), glial scarring, and a host of other issues. The future work is
necessary to overcome these particular limitations.
Summary, Conclusions, and Perspectives
Remarkable progress has been achieved in studying stem cells. Adult stem cells,
taken from sources such as bone marrow and cord blood, have now been success-
fully used to treat well over 70 medical conditions. Last year a woman was given a
new windpipe grown from her own stem cells in an advance which scientists said
heralded “a new age in surgical care.” Despite advances using adult stem cells, the
Human Fertilization and Embryology Act was passed last year liberalizing the law
governing scientists use of the controversial embryonic stem cells.
However, many scientists consider this branch of research, in which human
embryos are destroyed by the process of harvesting stem cells, to be far less promis-
ing. In 2008 scientist Colin McGuckin left his position as professor of regenerative
medicine at Newcastle University because the Government was failing to fund adult
stem cell research.
