What exactly can be cured using stem cells?

Question

What diseases can be cured using stem cells

Answer 1

Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to radically change the treatment of human disease. A number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, particularly bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia.In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wider variety of diseases including cancer, parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, and muscle damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions. However, there still exists a great deal of social and scientific uncertainty surrounding stem cell research, which could possibly be overcome through public debate and future research.

Stem cells, however, are already used extensively in research, and some scientists do not see cell therapy as the first goal of the research, but see the investigation of stem cells as a goal worthy in itself.

Answer 2

Stem cells have the potential to diffentiate into any cell type. It has long been hoped that this property would allow treatments to be developed using stem cells to repair tissues which do not normally repair themselves.
As far as I know, the only situtation in which stem cells have been used successfully in clinical practice is in bone marrow replacement after total body irradiation for treatment of certain hematological malignancies.
Potentially stem cells could be used to replace damaged neurons in patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer.s disease, replace damaged liver cells in acute liver failure, replace insulin producing cells in diabetes and so on. However we're not at the point where these things can be done clinically as a routine treatment. Eventually, hopefully, their potential will be realized.

Answer 3

Your last four respondents are certainly on the right track. Stem cell research is only in its infancy, but all sorts of thoughts are arising. Keep up with the news by reading Scientific American, and Discover Magazines, and if you are privy, a few medical magazines such as JAMA. Since, as you have been told, these are undifferentiated cells, they can become any type of cell. Properly introduced, they can become heart muscle cells, artery cells, nerve cells, and when injected into arthritic joints, cartilage, we think. For sure nerve cells to repair spinal cords and brain injuries. And this is only the beginning. In the US. stem cell research has been stopped in federally funded programs by the Bush administration, but Howard Hughes Medical center is making all sorts of discoveries (It is privately funded) and China, and particularly Brazil have huge work going on. When breakthroughs occur, Americans will be going to these countries for treatments, ---- in droves. Sadly, this will be available only to the wealthy here in the United States.... as usual, the middle class and the poor will not have access to this. If Christopher Reeves had lived, in 5 or 6 years, there would have been a treatment for his condition. If it happens to you, unless you can afford treatment in Brazil or China, you will stay in a wheelchair.

Answer 4

Stem cells are cells that have not yet developed into any particular mature cell (brain cell, blood cell, muscle cell, bone marrow, pancreatic tissue, etc. etc. etc. and researchers have found that they may be able to use them to supply any cells that have been lost due to injury or disease.

Stem cells may, for instance, be able to replace injured spinal cord nerves or brain cells. Or replace lost liver cells that normally prevent diabetes.

Researchers have demonstrated these things on a small scale. They are working to make some of these possibilities on scale helpful to patients without being prohibitively expensive.

Answer 5

stem cells are the "mother cells" of all human tissues. any cell in the body can potentially be grown from stem cells. diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, repairing damaged skin, new heart valves, new nervous tissue, new glands, blah, blah, blah,...

but ya never know. one of those embryos might grow up to be President of the United States or the next albert einstein. They're God's little miracles! Blah blah blah...

Answer 6

It is currently being researched for many things.

I believe two of the biggest ideas for stem cells are spinal cord injuries and Alzheimer's disease.

Answer 7

none,stem cell research is just hype that they use to keep the funds flowing.

Answer 8

Exactly? that would be exactly unknown, while there is ongoing research, there is no precise answer to your question.

Answer 9

nothing can be cured only dragged on. i dont know exactly so when you find out tell me.

Answer 10

we don't know yet hence the need for the research