1. Stem Cells

2. Def:

3. Def: a cell that has the potential to become multiple kinds of cells

4. Differentiation:

5. Differentiation: the process through which a stem cell becomes specialized
Accomplished through activation/silencing of genes (sections of DNA)

6. Different Kinds of Stem Cells
They differ in their flexibility concerning how many kinds of cells they can become
Ex. Early embryonic  any
Ex. Adult some

8. Goal of Stem Cell Research
To develop therapies for diseases that result from loss of cells, or cells that work incorrectly
May lead to cures or treatments for Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes…

9. Why is embryonic stem cell research controversial?
Embryonic stem cells for research come from 2 controversial sources
IVF (in vitro fertilization) extra embryos
Cloning embryos (not successful for human cells yet)

10. iPS cells Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Differentiated cells (often fetal) that have been reverted to embryonic state
2007 UW-Madison and Japan
Introduced several genes to adult cells using viruses
Additional research needed to see if they behave exactly like embryonic stem cells for clinical purposes.