Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and divide through mitosis. There are several types of stem cells including embryonic, adult, and fetal stem cells which have different potency and sources. Stem cell therapy works by stem cells differentiating into the surrounding tissue when signals are received. Current applications of stem cell therapy include treatment of diseases like diabetes, baldness, blindness, brain/spinal cord injuries, and heart disease. However, there are also potential obstacles like ethical concerns regarding the source of stem cells and difficulty with transplantation.

1. STEM CELL THERAPY
By,
Ved prakash panda
M. Pharm (Pharmacology)

2. What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are “master cells “
These cells are undifferentiated
biological cells that can differentiate into
specialised cells and can divide( through
mitosis) to produce more stem cells.
Stem cells are found in multicellular
organisms.

3. ◇Stem cells possess two properties.
◇SELF-RENEWAL: The ability to grow through numerous
cell cycles of cell division while maintaining the
undifferentiated state.
◇POTENCY: The capacity to differentiate into specialised
cell types. To differentiate into specialised cells these stem
cells require to be pleuripotent,totipotent,unipotent or
multipotent
Unique properties of stem cells

4. POTENTIAL DEFINITIONS OF STEM CELLS
Totipotent :
-Stem cells can differentiate into an entire organism ,
result from fusion of egg and sperm
-These cells can form the embryonic and extra
embryonic cell types i.e, either from placenta also.

5. Pluripotent :
-These cells are the descendents of the totipotent stem
cells.
-They can differentiate into nearly all cells derived from
any of the three layers.
Multipotent:
-These cells can differentiate into a number of cell types
but only those of a closely related family of cells.
Unipotent:
-These cells can produce only one cell type.

6. TYPES OF STEM CELLS
In mammals there are two types of stem cells
Embryonic :These are derived from the inner cell mass
of a blastocyst / human embryo.

10. Adult:
• Adult stem cells are found in various tissues.
• In adult organisms ,stem cells and progenitor cells act
as the repair system for the body replenishing adult tissues.
There are three sources of adult stem cells in the body.
1.Bone marrow, which requires extraction by harvesting
that is drilling into the bone (typically the femur or iliac
crest)
2.Adipose tissue(lipid cells),which requires extraction by
liposuction.
3.Blood,which requires extraction through apheresis
where in blood is drawn from a donor ( similar to blood
donation)

11. o Fetal : These are the primitive stem cells derived from
the organs of the foetus.
-These are of two types:
1.These cells are extracted from the tissues of foetus
generally after an abortion.
2.Extraembryonic stem cells come from the extra
embryonic membranes which are acquired after birth.
o Umbilical : These are derived from umbilical cord
blood just after birth.
o Of all stem cell types autologous harvesting involves
the least risk. The stem cells are obtained from one’s
own body.

12. When stem cells are transplanted into the body
and arrive into the injured part, brain being
targeted for tissue regeneration, the stem cells
are coming in contact with growth chemical’s (like
EGF’s , NGF’s and HGF’s )in the body. These
chemicals program the stem cells to differentiate
into the tissue surrounding it.
How stem cell therapy works

13. Current stem cell therapy

14. Haemetopoietic stem cell transplantation
◇Stem cells that give rise to the lymphocytes and other cells of
the immune system, also make blood cells, are called
hematopoietic stem cells.
◇HSC’s are characterized by the presence of CD 34 antigen
◇The process of taking stem cells from one person and putting
them into another is therefore called “ HCST”
◇To treat cancer patients with conditions such as leukemia and
lymphoma, sickle cell anemia,
◇Cord blood has a higher concentration of HSC than in adults.
◇In Restoring the hematopoietic system.

15. APPLICATIONS OF STEM CELL THERAPY:

16. Stem cells in treatment of baldness
As hair follicles contain stem cells – dermal papilla
Take stem cells from existing hair follicles
Multiply them in cultures
Implant the new follicles into the scalp

17. DIABETES
 Diabetes patients lose the function of
their insulin-producing beta cells of the
pancreas.
 Human embryonic stem cells may be
grown in cell cultures and stimulate to
form insulin-producing cells , that can be
transplanted into the patient

18. - Result in poor vision
- Take stem cells from healthy eye
- Grown onto contact lenses in
clinical lab
- Lenses are worn by the patient for a
period of three weeks
-Then migration of human stem cells
from lens to damaged eye and begin
to repair process
-Thus heals the damaged cornea and
quickly improves the vision
CORNEAL DISEASE/BLINDNESS

19. BRAIN DAMAGE
◇Stroke and traumatic brain injury
lead to cell death, characterized by a
loss of neurons and oligodendrocytes
within the brain.
◇Healthy adult brain contain neural
stem cells, these divide and act to
maintain general stem cell numbers
or become progenitor cells. These
stem cells are injected into the brains
of stroke patients.

20. KIDNEY STEM CELLS
-Take stem cells from embryo
,bone marrow or an umbilical
cords
-Culture these stem cells with
special chemical broth that
encourages the growth of
kidney cells
-Then new kidney cells can now
be injected into a kidney to
repair damaged tissue

22. DEAFNESS
Embryonic stem cells are capable of
differentiating into cochlear hair cells in the
adult inner ear

23. Tooth Damage:
-Take stem cells or dental pulp
from the patient.
- These are cultured in the lab
turning into a tooth bud which
when implanted into the gums will
give rise to a new tooth.
-It will fuse with the jaw bone and
release chemicals that encourages
nerves and blood vessels to
connect with it.

24. HEART DAMAGE

25. WOUND HEALING:
-The wounded tissue is more often replaced by the scar tissue
through the activity of stem cells .

26. INFERTILITY:
Culture of human embryonic stem cells in mitotically inactivated
porcine ovarian fibroblasts causes differentiation into germ cells
(precursor cells of oocytes and spermatozoa)

27. ◇Difficulty of performing transplantation and caring for
post-transplantation patients.
◇Specific factors that aid or hinder acceptance of the
particular transplant
◇Ability to obtain source material due to ethical
concerns
POTENTIAL OBSTACLES

28. ◇The critical shortage of organs available for transplantation
may be solved in the future by auto-graft techniques
◇Security : low toxicity or non toxic
ADVANTAGES

29. ◇As human embryonic stem cell are isolated from few days old
blastocyst as well as fetal tissues
◇Many prolifers believe that human life becomes a human
person at the time of fertilization
◇Others disagree : they believe that an embryo has potential
to develop into a person, but is not a person itself.
ETHICAL ISSUES

30. Thanks!