Stem Cells Therapy
key definitions:
totipotent: toti, from Latin totus, means whole
= whole potent
can form every cell type, including germ cells
pluripotent: pluri, from Latin plur-, means more, several,
more than one
can form many different derivatives, but not
germ cells
multipotent: from Latin multus, means much or many.
can form a few different cell types
toti > pluri > multi
Stem Cells
• Definition of stem cells
– Stem cells are “pluripotent” cells that can produce
many different kinds of cells. A fertilized egg is
“omnipotent”, i.e. can produce all cells.
• Different kinds of stem cells
– Embryonic stem cells come from embryos (<6 weeks).
Stem cells from blastocysts (2 weeks) are virtually
“immortal”.
– Fetal stem cells come from fetuses (> 6 weeks)
– Stem cells are present in some adult tissues,
including brain, spinal cord, and bone marrow.
key definitions:
stem cell:
1. it is not itself terminally differentiated
(not at the end of differentiation pathway)
2. it can divide without limit
(at least for the lifetime of animal)
3. when it divides each daughter has a choice
-it can remain a stem cell
-or it can embark on a course leading
to terminal differentiation
Embryonic Stem Cells
Adapted from the New York Times
18 December 2001
The Stem Cell Debate
• On August 9, 2001, President George Bush announced that NIH will
fund human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research for the first time.
The research will be restricted to 72 cell lines derived from surplus
fertilized embryos before August 9.
• Both opponents and supporters of HESC research are unhappy with
the ruling. Opponents believe that federal funding of human ESC
research will open a Pandora’s box leading to baby and organ
factories. Supporters believe that the restrictions will hold back
crucial research that will benefit millions of people.
• Researchers have recently found that they can create cloned
embryos. Stem cells derived from such embryos have the same
genes and are an ideal source of stem cells for transplantation.
Congress, however, is considering a bill that would outlaw making of
cloned embryonic stem cells.
EXAMPLES OF NATURALLY
OCCURRING STEM CELLS
TOTIPOTENT
CELL (ZYGOTE)
PLURIPOTENT
STEM CELLS
(EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS)
“ADULT”
STEM CELLS
BLOOD STEM CELLS OTHER COMMITTED
STEM CELLS (NEURONS, ETC.)
SPECIALIZED
CELLS:
RED BLOOD WHITE BLOOD
CELLS PLATELETS CELLS
ADAPTED FROM WWW.NIH.GOV/NEWS/STEMCELL/FIG2.GIF
Some cell types we would like
to make
• Pancreatic Islet Cells (Diabetes)
• Neurons (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal
cord injuries)
• Heart cells
• Liver cells
• Kidney cells
• Cartilage tissue
• Blood cells
Source of Stem Cells
Embryonic Stem Cells “Adult Stem
• Human blastocysts left Cells”
over from IVF work • Umbilical cord blood
• Bone marrow
• Skin
• Brain
Human Blastocyst
4-5 days old
100,000 discarded per year
Most will never give rise to a baby
HOW ARE
PLURIPOTENT/EMBRYONIC
STEM CELLS DERIVED?
INNER
CELL MASS
SPERM (PLURIPOTENT)
EGG ADULT
(OOCYTE)
ZYGOTE
FERTILIZATION BLASTOCYST FETUS
(TOTIPOTENT)
IN THE LABORATORY IN THE UTERUS
PRIMORDIAL GERM
INNER CELL MASS
IMPLANTATION CELLS
EMBRYONIC GERM
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS (ES)
CELLS (EG)
CULTURED PLURIPOTENT
STEM CELLS
ADAPTED FROM WWW.NIH.GOV/NEWS/STEMCELL/FIG3.GIF
Cloning an animal
Stem Cell Plasticity ?
Of Mice and Men
Conclusions
• The existence of a true adult somatic pleuripotent stem cell ( a single cell isolated in a
miniwell or marked by a unique retroviral insertion site that can give rise to progeny of
multiple lineages) is yet to be convincingly demonstrated.
• The initial perception that hematopoietic stem cells were giving rise to functional non-
hematopoietic cells have now mostly been deemed attributible to fusion events
• The concept of “plasticity” that led to the premature clinical use of hematopoietic stem cells
for cardiac ischemia has acquired a life of its own.
• There are now several reports of modest improvement in cardiac function following the use of
hematopoietic stem cells.
• This is likely secondary to non cardiac cells occupying necrotic spaces that would otherwise
have become scarred and paracrine effects recruiting myoblasts /promoting angiogenesis.
• Large randomized trials are now being advocated to address whether hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation is a viable strategy to treat cardiac ischemia.
