STEM CELLS: THE FUTURE OF OUR HEALTH

Among all the vast types of unique human body cells, stem cells have to be one of the most significant. Stem cells are undifferentiated, meaning they have the ability to differentiate or transform, into almost any cell thus making them the potential cure for widespread modern diseases such as cancer, Hunt’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Stem cells are classified into three major types, embryonic, non-embryonic, and induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells. As their name implies, embryonic – or pluripotent – stem cells are harvested from a human embryo; these type of stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell when correctly cultivated. Non-embryonic stem cells - also called multipotent - on the other hand are more specialized then their counterpart, meaning they can differentiate into specific cell types depending on their body location. The median between these two cells are iPS cells; iPS cells are non-embryonic cells that have been genetically engineered to match pluripotent cells, which means they also have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell. As mentioned earlier, stem cells can potentially cure widespread diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s; however, they can also theoretically be used to treat hearing loss, strokes, severe burns, and to repair fragile bones. 

Though stem cells are a revolutionary discovery, they have caused a great ethical dilemma. Harvesting stem cells from a live embryo ends up sabotaging the new being, thus violating its human rights. The discovery of iPS cells in recent times, however, increased the ethicality of using embryonic stem cells as no human sacrifice is made.  Stem cells probably will have a great impact on the future of human health. New breakthroughs in stem cell research are still being made until this day. With the future looking bright for stem cell therapy, one can surely look forward to a future that fully utilizes the cells in the medical field.  Sources: Healthline - Stem Cell Research Closer Look At Stem Cells - Types of Stem Cell Images: yourgenome.org catholicherald.com lineadirectaportal.com