Why are embryonic stem cells of great value for research?

Why are embryonic stem cells of great value for research?

Important for research Embryonic stem cells grow very quickly and can develop into all other body cells. They are therefore irreplaceable for research: the early phase of development and the formation of the different tissues can only be examined using them.

Where do you get embryonic stem cells from?

Embryonic stem cells are formed when the early, pluripotent stem cells are removed from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst and cultured. The embryo is usually destroyed in the process. Embryonic stem cells therefore only exist in the laboratory, not in the embryo itself.

What do you do with embryonic stem cells?

Human embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are pluripotent cells. That means they can give rise to any cell in the body. They arise from cells that occur at a very early stage in the human embryo: the blastocyst.

Why is stem cell research so interesting for medicine?

The stem cells are responsible for different cell types. For example, there are stem cells for human organs, blood and skin. Diseases and environmental influences can damage the stem cells that age with us, which is why the regeneration of the heart, brain and eyes, for example, is restricted.

What is stem cell research?

The so-called stem cell research (a form of genetic engineering) describes those experiments and research that deal with the targeted manipulation of stem cells. Compared to embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are not omnipotent.

Why are stem cells so important?

The all-rounders among the cells It is the stem cells from which the various types of tissue are formed, such as skin, hair or muscles. You can carry the blueprint for a whole human being within you. In an adult, the stem cells ensure that he or she does not age as quickly.

What are the roles of stem cells in the human body?

Stem cells are able to renew themselves through replication. They have the ability to divide and thus produce a copy with the same characteristics. Injured or diseased cells are thus replaced. Stem cells therefore take over important regeneration and repair mechanisms in the body.

What are adult stem cells used for?

Adult stem cells are routinely used to rebuild cartilage and damaged joints for bone healing. The treatment of heart attack and leg ulcers is in clinical trials.

Who needs a stem cell donation?

In cases where no suitable stem cell donor can be found in the family, stem cells from a genetically suitable unrelated donor are used. Donated stem cells are mainly used in leukaemias, anemias, immune deficiencies and other blood disorders.

Can stem cell donation be dangerous?

In healthy donors, however, the risk of serious complications is very low. Bruising may form at the donor site and pain may persist for a few days. The bone marrow itself regenerates in a short time, so no health impairments are to be expected.

When do you do stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is most commonly used for blood disorders and cancers in which the bone marrow has been damaged as a result of chemotherapy. After high-dose chemotherapy, the white blood cells (leukocytes), which are responsible for the immune system, are destroyed.

What must be agreed upon with stem cell donation?

In the case of stem cell transplantation, it is not a matter of matching the blood groups, but of the closest possible match of the tissue characteristics (HLA characteristics) between the donor and the patient.

What is the probability of finding stem cell donors?

But not everyone who registers in a stem cell donor file is actually asked to donate. The probability of becoming a stem cell donor within the next ten years is around 1.5 percent.

How many people need a stem cell donation?

That also explains why you need so many donors. For every 100 people who register, on average one will be asked for help over the course of their time as a registered donor.

What are tissue characteristics?

The tissue features are protein structures found on the surface of most body cells. They serve the immune system, among other things, to differentiate between endogenous and exogenous elements.

What is the HLA result?

The abbreviation HLA stands for human leukocyte antigens – one also speaks colloquially of “tissue characteristics”. The HLA markers are structures on the surfaces of cells in the body. This enables the immune system to distinguish between its own and foreign tissues.

What is HLA typing?

The determination of the individual leukocyte characteristics HLA characteristics is called HLA typing. For this purpose, the pattern of the individual leukocyte antigens at various points on the surface of the white blood cells is examined in the laboratory after blood is taken from the donor and recipient.

What is tested at DKMS?

When you are admitted to the DKMS, some of your tissue characteristic combinations will be examined; no tests will be carried out for specific infectious agents other than cytomegalovirus (CMV).

What is done with the stem cell donation?

In the case of a stem cell donation, the stem cells are obtained either directly from the bloodstream (peripheral stem cell donation) or from the bone marrow (bone marrow donation) of a donor. Stem cells can also be obtained from the umbilical cord blood of newborns.

How much does DKMS typing cost?

Now it is possible for the DKMS to register a donor, including the decisive typing of the tissue characteristics, for 35 euros. The DKMS has set itself the goal of doing everything possible to improve the chances of blood cancer patients looking for an unrelated stem cell donor.