Stem Cells: The Medicine of the Future or Not As They Seem?

In the fast-growing, ever-developing field of biomedicine, there have been a number of groundbreaking discoveries and inventions that changed our thinking of medicine. One such idea is the creation and reproduction of stem cells, which were reported to have the potential to grow organs, heal spinal injuries once thought to be incurable, increase our understanding of diseases, and test newly made drugs safely. There have been many reports of scientists successfully being able to create stem cells to go through clinical trials. But are they really up to the hype? If so, how long will it be until we see these almost miraculous feats be accomplished?

To answer those questions, we must first understand what stem cells are. First discovered in the 1960s, and were identified as themselves in 1981. Stem cells are essentially zygotes, which are cells that, after lots and lots of splitting, eventually becomes an entire organ or body. With this principle, it should be theoretically possible to develop zygotes that are able to become a specific organ, which can then be used for a variety of purposes. Although an exact definition is fuzzy, for something to be a stem cell, it must satisfy two major requirements: it must be self renewable, able to divide into more cells, and it must be able to differentiate into different mature cells. One important type of stem cell is the hematopoietic stem cell(HSC), which is capable of forming into different types of blood cells and tissue. HSC was the first type of stem cell identified, and has been used in bone marrow transplants and the like. Another huge breakthrough in stem cells came in 2006, when scientists successfully managed to develop induced pluripotent stem cells(iPS cells) from human skin tissue with the modification of 4 gene codes, opening up the possibility of the simple genetic engineering of these stem cells.

One of the biggest controversies regarding stem cells is an ethical one. There are many people that question the ethicality of stem cell treatments. The basis for the ethical arguments against stem cells is that they come from early stage human embryos, whether naturally or artificially made. The reason behind this is that adult cells are not nearly as versatile or durable as that of embryonic cells, severely limiting how they can be used. They require much more rigorous manipulation and research. Adult stem cells also have the possibility of having an abnormality in the form of an environmental toxin. Unless these ethical dilemmas are resolved, or a way to utilize adult stem cells effectively is developed, the ethical implications of stem cell treatments could act as a hindrance to the development of them.

Another big impediment to the development of stem cells is fraud. According to the FDA, stem cell treatments are strictly regulated and the list of FDA-approved stem cell treatments can be found here. However, aside from these approved products, there have been many times when unapproved and unproven treatments were offered to the general public. These fraudulent treatments can have severe side effects, such as unintended reactions at the site, the ability for new cells to move places or change unexpectedly, and the appearance of tumors. While FDA-approved products are deemed safe, the existence of fraudulent strategies will constantly plague the integrity of stem cell treatments.

As of this moment, it may be too early to make an assumption on the effectiveness of stem cell treatments. However, what we do know is that stem cell treatment is still a growing field, and that it is not yet fully developed. While stem cell treatments have massive potential, it is crucial to know the difference between a potentially successful medicine and a currently working one. Just because stem cells have fantastic prospects doesn’t mean that everything is in full order just yet. Stem cell treatments have their shortcomings, and it is always important to know the facts and proceed with caution when using such new medicines. Overall, it seems that the outlook for stem cells is bright. The untapped potential and quick developments that are inherent in stem cell treatments provide for the possibility that stem cells can well be the very medicine that will captivate us in the future.

Works Cited

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. (2020, July 24). Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/cellular-gene-therapy-products/approved-cellular-and-gene-therapy-products

Commissioner, O. (2019, September 13). FDA Warns About Stem Cell Therapies. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies

Nine Things To Know About Stem Cell Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-medicine/nine-things-to-know-about-stem-cell-treatments/

Pruthi, S. (2019, June 08). Frequently asked questions about stem cell research. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117

Says:, M., Says:, E., Says:, D., Says:, A., & *, N. (2015, March 16). Stem cells: A brief history and outlook. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2014/stem-cells-a-brief-history-and-outlook-2/