What is Stem Cell Research?

(University of Buenos Aires -

Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences)

Stem Cell Research is the study of how a single cell can grow

into a real live human being. Through stem cell research we have

learned that healthy cells can take the place of sick cells throughout

the life of a human.

To get a better look at what Stem Cell Research is and can do, let's watch a short clip from Life Noggin on YouTube.

(Lifenoggin. YouTube. YouTube, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 17 May 2017)

How are stem cells obtained?

Stem cells are cells that can divide and make copies of themselves.

They can also make themselves into other kinds of cells

needed throughout the body for growing and 

repairing of damaged cells.

Where can these remarkable cells be found? They can be found

in four different places:

1. Embryos: Stem cells obtained from embryos are called
Embryonic stem cells. They are gathered from embryos that
are three to five days old.
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent which means
they can divide and become any type of cell in the body.

2. Adult Stem Cells: Stem cells that can be found from

adult tissues. These are few in number.

3. Induced Pluripotent stem cells are adult stem cells that have been changed into cells like the Embryonic Stem Cells. 

4. Perinatal Stem Cells are stem cells found in amniotic fluid and umbilical cords. They can also be changed into specialized cells.

(Stem Cells: What they are and what they do)

(Science-Junkie)

Who can benefit from stem cell research?

Stem Cell Research is exciting! The possibilities are endless!

Let's take a look at a short video from YouTube called "PBS Nova ScienceNOW Apr 2005 Stem Cells"     

(3276j. PBS ScienceNow)

I, for one, am so excited for the possibilities that stem cell research can bring.

My mother, as many other mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters all over the globe, has Diabetes. She has been a diabetic for 47 years. She has done everything she can to control her diabetes. She has very few if any side effects due to diabetes. The disease is still wearing her down.

The cost for medical care is astronomical. Between the cost of medicine and other medical supplies, it takes a major amount of money that many times she doesn't have. She also has many other diseases.

Why am I so excited about stem cell research?

Once the use of stem cell use is perfected and more successful, stem cells can cure the diseases that are slowly taking my mother.

I just hope that that day comes soon before it is too late for her and many other people with these diseases.

Misconceptions about Stem Cell Research causing funding to be delayed

Funding for Stem Cell Research is very limited. There are a lot of misconceptions concerning Stem Cell Research that make people not want to fund it.

The following is a video from John Hopkins Medicine 

concerning the ethical questions about Stem Cell Research.

Stem Cell Research is very expensive

"American clinics charge approximately $10,000 per treatment. Notably, many patients get [sic] more than one of these non-FDA approved treatments and must pay each time of course" (How Much Do Stem Cell Treatments Really Cost?).

"Some clinics have reduced prices to the $7,000-$8,000 range. Interestingly, costs for treatments outside of the US are usually far higher than in the US, charging anywhere from $20,000 all the way up to $100,000. These clinics still generally have Americans as clientele. Whether inside or outside the US, insurance does not cover the costs of these potentially dangerous, unproven treatments"  (How Much Do Stem Cell Treatments Really Cost?).

The cost of the research in 2016 was $1.495 billion ((CEO), Cade Hildreth).    

((CEO), Cade Hildreth).

What needs to be done to help further Stem Cell Research?

(Volunteer in South Africa with Mellon Educate)

If we are going to have success with Stem Cell Research, we must educate the world about the truths concerning Stem Cell Research. It is not the killing of embryos or the creating animals more superior than humans. Stem Cells are obtained from many other places than just embryos. It is not cloning. The truths about Stem Cell Research have been discussed in other posts in this blog.

(Join Me and Be Good on Friday)

Join me in getting the truth out about Stem Cell Research and be a 

(David G. Genet, D.M.D. Periodontics)

Work Cited

Bevington, Linda K., MA. "An Overview of Stem Cell Research." An Overview of Stem Cell Research | The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity. N.p., Aug. 2009. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Clonally Derived Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Maintain Pluripotency and Proliferative Potential for Prolonged Periods of Culture." Clonally Derived Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Maintain Pluripotency and Proliferative Potential for Prolonged Periods of Culture - ScienceDirect. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

"David G. Genet, D.M.D. Periodontics | Dental Implants." Why a Visit to Your Periodontist May Be a Lifesaver : Dr. David Genet | Aventura Periodontist. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Hollowell, Kelly, Ph.D. "Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research | The Institute for Creation Research. Institute for Creation Research, 2002. Web. 16 May 2017.

Farrell, Courtney and Rosalyn Carson-Dewitt. "Stem Cell Research: An Overview." Points of View: Stem Cell Research, 3/1/2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost.

"How Much Do Stem Cell Treatments Really Cost?" The Niche. N.p., 05 May 2016. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Join me and be good on Friday." The Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Lifenoggin. YouTube. YouTube, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 17 May 2017.

3276aj. PBS Nova ScienceNOW Apr 2005 Stem Cells. YouTube, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Stem cells: What they are and what they do." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 23 Mar. 2013. Web. 17 May 2017.

JohnsHopkinsMedicine. The Ethical Questions of Stem Cell Research. YouTube, 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 May 2017.

Science-junkie. "Science-junkie." Science Junkie. N.p., 29 May 2014. Web. 17 May 2017.

Stem Cells http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&u=pioneer&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CCX3045302608&inPS=true&linkSource=interlink&sid=STND&authCount=1

"Volunteer in South Africa with Mellon Educate." Life Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

"The truth about the miracle CURE that promises to treat everything; Doctors now believe stem cells from our own bodies have remarkable healing powers. So what is. .. SPECIAL REPORT." Daily Mail [London, England], 25 Apr. 2017, p. 35. Infotrac Newsstand, 000f82956. Accessed 16 May 2017.