Stem cells are undifferentiated cells waiting on the signal in which it can eventually differentiate into whatever cell is needed by the body. Embryonic stem cells which are found in the blastocysts, and adult stem cells found in adult tissue have the potential of becoming many different cell types. In essence, they can replenish our worn out cells that keep us functioning properly.
Since stem cells can be manipulated to become specialized cells, stem cell therapies have already been use in the treatment of some conditions such as leukemia. Medical science will eventually try to use this advantage in treating other diseases such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease and much more. With such potential, many thought stem cells would be the next great discovery in disease treatment.
In an article released by Health Day News, Immune Response May Hinder Stem Cell Treatments, released in August of this year, researchers have found that human stem cells can trigger an immune response in mice. It was thought/suggested by researchers that the immune system must ignore stem cells since it is in the early stages of development and both the mother and father's genetic material are present at that stage. Injections of human embryonic stem cells into mice with a normal immune system showed that cells would die off over a period of time, whereas embryonic cells that are injected into mice with an impaired immune system would go on and multiply. Further injections into mice with the normal immune system showed cells dying off more quickly suggests that the immune system is recognizing the cells as foreign and destroying them more rapidly. The results in this experiment lead researchers to believe that this rejection can also occur in human transplation of embryonic stem cells. In addition, anti-rejection compounds injected into the mouse with the normal immune system show that the embryonic cells are able to survive for 28 days.
I too thought stem cells was an amazing application to medical treatments, but with these new findings, will it be much more complicated than what was though of stem cell use? Is the immunse system all that will need to be overcome for stem cells treatments to work effeciently?
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell
http://www.forbes.com/health/feeds/hscout/2008/08/18/hscout618460.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68274.html
Inflammablog 2 is the second Blog made specially to be shared by two courses at two schools: PSIO 495 at University of Arizona in Tucson, and IMMU 7630 at University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. PSIO is a colloquium on inflammation and IMMU is a lecture course on immunology for graduate students. You can visit the Original Inflammablog.
Inflammablog 2 is the place to post short reviews about selected subjects in immunology, inflammation, and infection, and have them commented on (and possibly even improved) by friends and colleagues. It is managed by John Cohen in Denver, and Zoë Cohen in Tucson. We invite students in either course to comment on the postings by their classmates and by the students in the other course.
We particularly want this to be a place to practice clear, friendly communication to people who have a background in science, but are not experts in this particular area. Sort of the Café Scientifique crowd.
Inflammablog 2 is the place to post short reviews about selected subjects in immunology, inflammation, and infection, and have them commented on (and possibly even improved) by friends and colleagues. It is managed by John Cohen in Denver, and Zoë Cohen in Tucson. We invite students in either course to comment on the postings by their classmates and by the students in the other course.
We particularly want this to be a place to practice clear, friendly communication to people who have a background in science, but are not experts in this particular area. Sort of the Café Scientifique crowd.
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1 comment:
This is very interesting and shares the same problem as gene therapy. I have never thought about immune system rejection in this context before this class and it's rarely mentioned as a hurdle with both of these promising therapies. I wonder what strategies people are testing to condition the immune system to recognize the new molecules as self and not foreign. We spoke last week about "resetting" the immune system as a possible means to treat certain types of diabetes....Would definitely like to know more about this.
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