Stem Cells Project

11 B9 BIOLOGY GROUP
THE CONVICTS
Two important characteristics
 First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves

for long periods through cell division
 The second is that under certain physiologic or

experimental conditions, they can be induced to
become cells with special functions
Immune cells come in
and clear away the
debris and any
infection
Tissues can repair Regeneration is the

themselves, filling the void complete restoration of
with tough but otherwise the original tissue.
non-functional material Damaged tissue is
using the body’s replaced by new
equivalent of duct tape: functional cells.
the scar
either dividing the existing functional cells
A stem cell must make more

copies of itself (self-renew)
and give rise to more capable
offspring (differentiate)
or by activating an adult stem cell population

Two kinds of stem cells from animals
and humans:
Embryonic stem cells

Adult stem cells
Stem Cells
Ectoderm Mesoderm Endoderm Germ Cells
Dorsal
Digestive Tube Germ Cells
Notochord
Outer surface Pancreatic Cell Sperm and Egg
Paraxial
Skin Pharynx
Bone tissue
CNS Thyriod Cell
Intermediate
Neuron Respiratory Tube
Tubule cell of the kidney
Neural Crest Alveolar Cell
Lateral
Melanocyte
Red Blood Cell
Blood vessels
Heart
Head
Facial Muscle
Gut
Endoderm
Blood
Inner
Cell Mesoderm
Mass
Heart
Ectoderm
Skin
Brain
Germ
Sperm
Or Eggs
Time of Gestation After Birth
Adult stem cells Embryonic stem cells
Typically reside in or near Created from inner cell
their tissue mass cells that exist only in
Are capable of giving rise very early embryos
to functional cells in their
tissue (but not other Are capable of giving rise
tissue types) to all of the cell types in
the body including non-
Are typically found only in regenerative
tissues that undergo
regular turnover. Can be divided many times
(possibly indefinitely) in
Decrease in both number
culture to make many cells.
and activity as one ages.
On going research
1. Determining precisely how stem cells remain

unspecialized and self renewing for many years
2. Identifying the signals that cause stem cells
to become specialized cells
3. Basis for treating diseases such as
Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease
4. Cell-based therapies, for screening new
drugs and toxins and understanding birth
defects
All stem cells—regardless of their source have three
general properties:
 They are capable of dividing and renewing themselves

for long periods
 They are unspecialized
 They can give rise to specialized cell types

Some signals in a mature organism that cause a stem cell
population to proliferate and remain unspecialized until
the cells are needed for repair of a specific tissue
Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells—stem cells

may replicate many times & it is called Proliferation - in
the laboratory can yield millions of cells
If the resulting cells continue to be unspecialized, like the
parent stem cells, the cells are said to be capable of long-
term self-renewal
 Unspecialized stem cells - specialized cells, the process is
called Differentiation
 The internal signals are controlled by a cell's genes
 The external signals - chemicals secreted by other cells,

physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain
molecules in the microenvironment
Properties of Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells typically generate the cell types of
the tissue in which they reside
A bloodforming adult stem cell in the bone marrow,
for example, normally gives rise to the many types of
blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells
and platelets
Stem cells from one tissue may be able to give rise to
cell types of a completely different tissue - Plasticity
 Examples
Blood cells becoming neurons and heart muscle
Liver cells that can be made to produce insulin
Hematopoietic stem cells may differentiate into:
 Three major types of brain cells (neurons, oligodendrocytes, and
astrocytes)
 Skeletal muscle cells
 Cardiac muscle cells and
 Liver cells
Bone marrow stromal cells may differentiate into:
 Cardiac muscle cells and
 Skeletal muscle cells
Brain stem cells may differentiate into:
 Blood cells and skeletal muscle cells
To test new drugs. Tested for safety on
differentiated cells generated from human
pluripotent cell lines
Cancer cell lines, for example, are used to screen
potential anti-tumor drugs
The generation of cells and tissues which can be
used for cell-based therapies
Replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases
Spinal cord injury
Stroke, burns
Heart disease, Diabetes
Osteoarthritis, and Rheumatoid arthritis
 Disease
• Diabetes, Spinal
cord injury,
Parkinson’s
disease
• heart disease
 Genetic based
Disease
• Cystic fibrosis,
Huntington’s
Stem Cells in Interventional Cardiology
vascular disease
risk, cell therapy for post-MI
biology, repair
drug therapy
cell therapy in PCI

Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to
dramatically change the treatment of human disease. Stem cells are
considered to be the greatest of discoveries by mankind. Further
research can give more clues about its function.

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11 B9 BIOLOGY GROUP

 First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves

 The second is that under certain physiologic or

Tissues can repair Regeneration is the

A stem cell must make more

or by activating an adult stem cell population

Embryonic stem cells

1. Determining precisely how stem cells remain

 They are capable of dividing and renewing themselves

 They are unspecialized

 They can give rise to specialized cell types

Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells—stem cells

 The internal signals are controlled by a cell's genes

 The external signals - chemicals secreted by other cells,

cell therapy in PCI

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