2010 February | Stem Cell Transplant

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Why Stem Cell Transplant is Important

The process of stem cell transplant or treatment has a number of critics, particularly the church. It is important to know why this kind of treatment is useful and practical despite the criticism it constantly receives. This process is not only limited to haematological diseases, but also to a large number of other illnesses that trouble a considerable fraction of the human population. Stem cells are capable of so much; these cells are indefinitely renewable and seem to have an infinite lifespan; these cells can change into other cells that have different purposes. Cancer is a disease that is a consequence of abnormal cell development. Knowing what exactly went wrong with a person’s cells is significant to its treatment. This is why the development of a more specialized look into stem cell transplant is needed. If enough research is given to this medical process, we will soon be able to change the fate of an otherwise terminal disease. This is not limited to just cancers and other blood and bone diseases but it also extends its research to known birth defects. It is evident that stem cell research can lower the number of babies born with deficiencies to almost a third of its original number. The process of stem cell transplant is highly useful for the replacement of a tissue that is lost by various other causes. Given the potential of this kind of treatment for cancer patients, it is a wonder that only a mere few make use of this kind of solution. It also has the potential to replace the need for whole organ transplants, which is already a testy issue given the fact that there is a scarcity in viable organs available from donations and such. If this kind of treatment is given more funding and importance, it can change the face of medical treatments as we know it today.

Stem Cell Transplant: Why We Need It

The human brain has captivated the field of medicine ever since. The Egyptians know the importance of its preservation and have sought to preserve it in jars separating it from their initial owners. It is only now that the true potential of the brain has been realized. The brain uses one-fifth of the energy we generate in our bodies. It also makes use of one thousand and two hundred milliliters of the blood that our heart produces. So how is stem cell transplant related to the brain if its main purpose is to regenerate tissue and blood? When the brain is infected by any kind of disease, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc., it is definitely one serious concern. Before the discovery of stem cell transplant, these diseases were thought to be untreatable. Unfortunately for those born a decade too early, these diseases were seen as lost causes. However, research today shows how we can use our circulatory system to deliver stem cells harvested from our bone marrow into these affected areas. Since stem cells act like homing pigeons as soon as they are introduced into the blood stream, all that is left to be done is to introduce it into the patient’s system and let the stem cells do their job. If research is allowed to further the findings of stem cell research despite the church’s misgivings about this process, neurological diseases like Lou Gehrig’s and other spinal injuries can be treated with much more efficiency. Stem cell transplant has gone a long way, and it seems like it might be the answer to a lot of biological problems. Over time, the price of receiving this kind of treatment will lower as the practice becomes more refined. People with the worst and seemingly most incurable diseases will have a fighting chance if more funding is given to the improvement of this procedure.

Basic Information on Stem Cell Transplant

Stem cell transplant is a relatively modern method of using stem cells from healthier tissue to help create new cells from diseased tissue, usually by means of a bone marrow transplant. The main difference between other cells and this kind of cell is that stem cells do not die out as easily. They are capable of producing and reproducing new cells for an indefinite period of time because its properties allow for the variety of other cells it can turn into. This is why these are highly valued when it comes to treating any blood or bone related disease. Surprisingly, not a lot of stem cells are needed to repopulate the whole bone marrow. Just a small amount is used to provide a steady stream of stem cells that will replace all the lost blood cells and reinvigorate the patient’s immune system. Stem cell transplant processes involve having to coax out stem cells using artificial means because there is not a lot of these that can be found in the blood stream. The next step would be extraction; the blood from the extraction point is filtered through some special equipment that skims off the stem cells. This process is called Pheresis. These newly harvested stem cells can either be introduced into the patient right after or put into storage. Once the patient is ready for the procedure, the stem cell transplant is done by infusing it into a vein where it can follow the blood’s natural flow. These cells are special too because they need no manual direction and instead go directly to the affected area, where the cells are needed. When that is accomplished, these cells will now restore the cells that have been destroyed by the disease, particularly those cells that were targeted during chemotherapy and radiation therapy.