Embryonic Stem Cells

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Embryonic Stem Cells

• By Swati Amin

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Table of Contents

• What is Embryonic Stem Cell?
• Research Process
• Data analysis from research
• Potential applications
• Ethical issues
• Conclusion

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What is Embryonic Stem Cell?

• Inner cell mass of blastocytes
• Capable of unlimited cell division
• pulripotent - virtually can become any cell
• type
• 
  

Embryonic Stem cells
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Cultivation of ESCs
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Research Process

• Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)
• Process involve
• - Removing the DNA from unfertilized egg.
• - Injecting the DNA of a Somatic Cell
• (skin, heart, nerve cells etc.)
• - Cells are then grown in laboratories.
• - Virtually they are made into any types of
• cells.

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SCNT
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Potential applications

• Regenerate or replace damaged or diseased tissues
  or organs.
• - Heart attack, liver failure, Stroke,
• Parkinsons
• Use of stem cells to deliver missing genes in
  inherited diseases
• - Muscular dystrophy, Diabetes, Hemophilia
• Cancers
• ESCs will help individuals with many other
  disorders

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Results obtained from NJIT laboratory

• Experiment 1
• Embryonic stem cells were injected with genes
  that are expressed in liver cells of mice
• ESCs were cultured using SCNT process on culture
  dishes to obtain tissue sheets
• Tissue sheets were functionally evaluated which
  showed similar functions as liver cells
• Tissue sheets were implanted in mice.
• Implanted sheets showed compatibility with hosts
  body

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• Experiment 2
• A mouse carrying Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) was
  injected with ESCs.
• After several days, tests were conducted which
  showed that moues body stopped producing sickle
  cells
• - More than 200 patients of SCA have been
  transplanted with Stem cells with a 80-85 percent
  success rate

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Ethical issues

• Embryos have status as human beings or persons.
• Embryos have status as divine creations.
• Embryos are harmed by their destruction.
• Embryos have intrinsic value.

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References

• http//www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/CIB/2002-03/03c
  ib05.pdf
• http//www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.geIMLPOpGjF
  /b.1452563/k.AFD6/Somatic_Cell_Nuclear_Transfer_SC
  NT_101.htm
• http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum
  b/6/6b/Cloning_diagram_english.png/300px-Cloning_d
  iagram_english.png

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• Perry, Daniel. Patients Voices The Powerful
  Sound in the Stem Cell Debate. Science magazine
  25 Feb 2000. http//www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content
  /full/287/5457/1423?ijkeyiWXvlTED7IjUU
• Halabi, Lana, James Saller, and Rob Smeed.
  Science Application of stem cells. U of South
  Florida. 2001. lthttp//web.usf.edu/honors/current
  /StudentWebs/sc/science.htmlgt.