1. Is Stem Cell Research The Future Of Medicine?
By Olivia Daly

2. What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are a type of cell that have no specific function but have the potential to develop into different cell types during early life and growth.
Often serve as a sort of internal repair system in tissues by dividing to replenish other cells

3. The History Of Stem Cell Research
1868- Term “Stem Cell” first coined by German scientist Ernst Haeckel
1909- Russian Alexander Maximov announces his theory that there are stem cells in our blood that can turn into other cell types
1957- First human bone marrow transplant
1968- First successful bone marrow transplant on a child
Now we have stem cell IVF and the possibility to cure multiple ailments

4. General Properties Of Stem Cells
They can proliferate- replicate themselves many times over for long periods of time
They are unspecialised
They can differentiate- change into different cell types and perform the functions of those cell types

5. Pluripotency
Pluripotency refers to whether or not a stem cell can change into many different cell types
Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to give rise to all cell types in the body
Not all stem cells are pluripotent. Adult stem cells, for example, are limited in the number of cell types they can become.

6. Embryonic Stem Cells Found in embryos
Researchers take them from discarded embryos left over from IVF treatments- ethical debate
Pluripotent- can give rise to all tissue types in the body e.g muscle, fat, cartilage etc.

7. Adult Stem Cells
Found in the different tissues around the body e.g. The brain, the liver, the muscles, the bone marrow.
Function is to repair the tissue if it gets damaged
Not Pluripotent
Can usually only give rise to the cell type found in their tissue of origin, sometimes a couple of other similar cell types

8. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Adult stem cells reprogrammed to take on the properties of embryonic stem cells so that they can become any cell type

9. Similarities & Differences Between Embryonic & Adult Stem Cells
Embryonic Stem Cells are pluripotent, adult stem cells are not
Embryonic stem cells are easier to grow in the lab- far more stem cells in an embryo than are found within tissues around the body and it is very hard to isolate the adult stem cells from a tissue
Easier to treat disease with embryonic stem cells- need large amounts of stem cells for treatments and they can give rise to any tissue

10. Diseases That Could Be Treated Using Stem Cells
Various types of cancer
Type 1 diabetes
Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis
Heart Disease
And many more.....

11. Using Stem Cells To Treat Cancer
Some cancer patients receive stem cell transplants with their chemotherapy
Different types of transplants:
- Stem cells donated by a close match e.g. sibling/ parent = Allogeneic transplant
- Stem Cells taken from patient before they start chemo and transplanted back into their body afterwards= autologous transplant

12. Using Stem Cells To Treat Type 1 Diabetes
Best way to treat type 2 diabetes is diet & exercise
Type 1 is genetic and can’t be treated this way- insulin shots used
Pancreatic transplants in severe cases- insulin is produced in the pancreas in the islets of Langerhans by pancreatic beta cells.
If you have Type 1 Diabetes then your immune system attacks the cells that make insulin
Stem cells can be injected into the pancreas to become new pancreatic beta cells- easier than a full transplant

13. Using Stem Cells to Treat Type 1 Diabetes

14. Stem Cells And IVF
IVF involves an embryo being created in a lab instead of in a woman’s body- sometimes this can be ineffective
One of the main reasons why women cannot have children is because they wait until they are older and their eggs are not as fertile as they once were
Stem Cells discovered in the lining of the ovaries can give rise to new eggs
Can also replenish old and infertile eggs so that they can be fertilised
Give hope to infertile women

15. Stem Cells and IVF
Zain Rajani was the first baby born through an IVF programme where ovarian stem cells were used– because this technology is so new scientists are not 100% sure how effective it is
Born in Canada on May 7th, 2015

16. The Future of Stem Cells and IVF
Scientists think that one day they may be able to create an embryo from stem cells alone
As mentioned, ovarian stem cells have the potential to differentiate into new eggs.
couples who are infertile could have their own biological child even though they lack the reproductive cells to produce one normally.

17. Other benefits of stem cells
Cells derived from stem cells can be used to test new drugs instead of testing on animals
New organs may be grown from stem cells so that scientists can recreate a working system and study the functions of the body in more detail

18. Jobs In The Area Of Stem Cell Research

19. Conclusion
As stem cells can treat such an enormous variety of diseases from within the body, they have the potential to revolutionise the way we treat diseases and illnesses.
This is why they are being hailed as the future of medicine

20. Video:

21. Bibliography http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx

22. Bibliography