STEM
CELL THERAPY – SCI & TECH
News:
Court allows stem cell
therapy for two autistic kids
What's
in the news?
●
The Delhi High Court permitted two
children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to undergo stem cell therapy for
treatment of their condition.
Key
takeaways:
●
The order came in a petition moved by
family members of the two children, challenging a December 6, 2022
recommendation of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the
National Medical Commission (NMC) against the use of stem cell treatment for
ASD.
Stem
Cells:
●
Stem cells are cells from which all other
cells, with their respective specialised functions, are generated.
●
The human body, under certain conditions,
“divides” stem cells to either create new stem cells or cells with specific
functions, such as blood cells, brain cells, bone cells, muscle cells, etc.
●
Treatments or therapies that use stem
cells to prevent or treat any disease are known as stem cell therapy.
●
Stem cell therapy promotes the reparative
treatment of diseased, dead or injured tissue.
Types
of Stem Cells:
There are two main
categories of stem cells such as
Pluripotent
stem cells:
●
These are the cells with the ability to
differentiate into all of the cells of the adult body.
Adult
stem cells:
●
These are tissue or organ-specific and
regenerate to form cells only of that particular organ.
Pluripotent stem cells
are naturally found only in embryos. However, in 2006, researchers identified
conditions that would allow some mature human adult cells to be reprogrammed
into an embryonic stem cell-like state. Those reprogrammed stem cells are
called induced pluripotent stem cells.
How
does stem cell therapy work?
1.
Stem cell extraction:
●
The basic process of stem cell therapy
starts with taking out stem cells containing bone marrow and processing the
stem cells in a lab.
2.
Specialisation:
●
Then stem cells are specialized into the
necessary adult cell type.
●
These stem cells are manipulated to
specialize into specific types of cells, such as heart muscle cells, blood
cells or nerve cells.
3.
Implantation:
●
Then, those mature cells replace tissue
that is damaged by disease or injury.
●
This type of treatment could be used to:
○
Replace neurons damaged by spinal cord
injury, stroke or other neurological problems.
○
Produce insulin that could treat people
with diabetes or cartilage to repair damage caused by arthritis.
○
Replace virtually any tissue or organ that
is injured or diseased.
○
The cells could be used to study disease,
identify new drugs, or screen drugs for toxic side effects.
Advantages
of Stem Cell Therapy:
1.
Potential to Reverse Diseases:
●
By directing stem cells to differentiate
into specialised cell types, there is the possibility to provide a renewable
source of replacement cells for those suffering from diseases.
2.
Minimal invasion:
●
Stem cell therapy is a non-surgical
procedure with no incisions of the body.
●
Traditional surgeries leave behind scars
that require extended time periods to heal.
3.
Faster recovery:
●
Since the procedure is quick and minimally
invasive, it requires very little to no time for the recovery process.
●
One can get back to their routine work on
the next day of the procedure.
4.
Natural healing:
●
The human body has the potential to heal
by itself with the help of stem cell therapy.
●
Once the stem cells are injected at the
site of injury, they stimulate the growth of new cells, which repair and heal
the damaged tissue.
5.
Prevents complications:
●
Unlike most of the medical treatments,
stem cell therapy comes with no side effects.
●
It also prevents infections and reduces
the risk of complications.
Stem cell therapy and
science have a lot of potential. It can revolutionise the treatment and
pharmaceutical industry. Stem cell treatment is still under research mode in
India. The Indian Government is supporting various basic pre-clinical and
clinical research. In 2013, National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research were
released. These guidelines help the clinicians and scientists working in the
field to conduct research in a scientific and ethical manner.