What Are Stem Cells?

By : Admin

With all the debate about stem cells and seemingly everyone weighing in on the moral implications of using embryonic stem cells to cure disease, many people have been lost is the process. So many people don’t know where to weigh in on the whole stem cell debate because they don’t know what they are. Stem cells are very different from the rest of the cells in your body and hold the power to do great things now and in the future. Stem cells are important to research, to people with debilitating diseases, and to new parents who are thinking ahead to preserve cord blood that contains stem cells.

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are unlike any other cells in your body. As you may be aware, most cells have a pre-determined purpose. For instance, heart cells all come together to create the heart, kidney cells all come together to form a kidney, and so on for all of your body parts. Stem cells are different because they do not have any pre-assigned purpose. Stem cells have the ability to adapt into other cells and simulate new and healthy growth among many types of cells in the body.

Why Are Stem Cells Better Than Conventional Medicine?

Stem cells hold more promise than convention medications because they provide cellular medicines and these medications focus on correcting or even replacing diseased or damaged cells. This means that cellular medications can be used to cure diseases and conditions that have long been without a cure. Cellular medications provide people who are paralyzed, those with blood disorders, and those with heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and more with hope that someday there will be a cure. Cellular medicine (which is derived from stem cells) can change the face of medicine forever, if given the chance.

What Can Already Be Done With Stem Cells?

Stem cell use and research is really at its birth, but what has been seen so far has been quite encouraging and it’s an area of medicine that will only get bigger and better all the time. Currently stem cells and cellular medicine is used to cure red blood cell diseases such as Fanconi Anemia, it can cure white blood cell diseases such as SCID, it can treat cancers such as Leukemia and Neuroblastoma, as well as repairing tissues in the body such as heart tissue. With an area in its infancy, stem cells have already come a long way and hold so much promise for the future.

Stem cells are not just cells that are able to adapt into other cells to stimulate new and healthy growth, they are hope for the future. Much still has to be learned about stem cells, but it’s obvious that a great number of people can benefit from them. Whether you are scientific minded or not, stem cells represent hope.

Each pregnancy, expectant mother, and unborn child is different. Your pregnancy may not progress the same as the information found here. The information here is based on the average pregnancy. It's not meant to be a replacement for any advice your may receive from your doctor. If you have any concerns about your pregnancy, we advise you to contact your doctor.