Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Does the stem cells have applying in brain cancer? what info u know of this?

Public Comments

1. I'm not sure what ur asking, but without going into an embryology lecture; A stem cell is an "un-differentiated cell". Which means it hasn't been "told" what to be yet. If you took an early Un-diff. stem cell and put in anywhere along the developing embryo, it would become any cell it's told to be. An "eye" cell placed where liver cells are developing- it would be a liver cell. If it has already been given it's "assignment", then microsurgically moved to another cite, it will still develope into the original labled cell. For example, tests have been done where chickens were born with 6 eyes by transplanting more "eye" developing cells after differentiation. The idea is to harvest these un-differentiated cells to "grow" needed cells that wouldn't resist a recipient in need. (antibodies/antigens). Umbilical chords do have stem cells but not exactly the same as a human fetus. We can advance science with umbilical chord stem cells/ amniotic fluid etc. but not as well as with a destroyed embryo. This is the contoversy. Some do not believe a baby conceived in the lab is a real human bc it's man generated. Regardless how it was conceived A(natural or lab) it still, at THAT point has all it needs to become a walking, talking, thinking, human being. To restrict the process is a nice way of saying abortion. It is a tough call, I agree but to what extent to we go in finding a cure for illnesses? When does conception take place is where some draw the line. Is it after the 1st heart beat? the first brain wave? At the 1st cell division? When sperm/egg unite? The fact is, conception starts the moment the maternal genome contibution aligns with the paternal contribution.
2. I'm not sure what the previous poster is talking about. Everyone has stem cells. Oncologists have been using stem cell transplants and rescues from the patients own blood stem cells or a donor for over 20 years. A patients own stem cells are 'harvested' from his blood, frozen and later returned to the body after high dose chemotherapy to rescue the immune system. Cancer Help: Stem Cell Transplants http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=3955 Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Treatments/Stemcellbonemarrowtransplants/Generalinformation Autologous Stem Cell Transplants http://www.bmtinfonet.org/handbook.html I am not sure if you are asking if they do stem cell rescue/transplants with brain cancer patients . . or if you are asking about the link between cancer stem cells and how they may cause some types of brain cancer? Brain Cancer Linked to Stem Cells http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/08/68541 Or, in some cases stem cells treat brain cancer . . scientists think that targeting the brain cancer stem cell may lead to tumor death: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2329201.stm Brain cancer stem cells identified http://www.ncic.cancer.ca/ncic/internet/standard/0,3621,84658243_85786098_342259212_langId-en,00.html