Embryonic Stem Cell Research Facts

An embryonic stem cell, as the name reveals, is extracted from an embryo, when it is in the early stages after fertilization. This unspecialized cell has the potential to differentiate into any type of cells, which in turn, can be used to repair other defected cells in the body. Another unique attribute of stem cell is its ability to propagate itself indefinitely. There are lots of ethical issues concerning the extraction of cells from a human embryo. Nevertheless, one of the acceptable embryonic stem cell research facts is that it is a milestone in medical science, with which there is a hope for treatment of several degenerative diseases.

Facts about Embryonic Stem Cell Research

The controversy in stem cell research studies has been around for several years. This is because isolation of inner cell mass from an embryo results in death of the embryo. According to the opponents, it is not ethical to kill a human embryo, which is nothing less than destructing a life. As per scientists, embryos are not actually lives, but they have a potential to develop into human lives. According to them, human embryonic stem cells are employed for the services of mankind. They are helpful, especially to those with severe ailments. For your understanding, some embryonic stem cell research facts are discussed below:

Superiority of Embryonic Stem cells
Embryos are not the only source for deriving stem cells. There are specific cells in an adults, which have the properties of stem cells. But, why embryonic stem cells are still preferred for research studies? The answer lies in the superiority of embryonic stem cells, as compared to adult stem cells. The type of stem cells derived from embryos are pluripotent (capable of developing into different cell types); while stem cells derived from an adult human are multipotent (produced from pluripotent and capable of developing into limited cell types). Both types of stem cells can be copied for several times.

Source of Embryonic Stem cells
In majority of the cases, the sources for embryonic stem cells are eggs developed in laboratories by means of in vitro fertilization. It is necessary to inform the donor about the usage of the resulting embryos for researching purposes. Very rarely or in negligible cases, a developing blastocyst from a woman's womb is isolated for using in researches. If such is the case, a consent from the woman is taken and then, further isolation procedures are done. Considering these aspects, in vitro fertilization clinics are the frontiers in donating blastocyst for embryonic stem cell researches. Go through history of stem cell research to have a better idea about the eminent scientists who are behind the discovery of stem cells.

Isolation of Embryonic Stem cells
The stage of embryo from which the stem cells are derived is known as the blastocyst. It is about 4-5 days old embryonic structure after fertilization. Resembling a ball with a hollow cavity inside, the total number of cells in a human blastocyst is approximately 70 to 100. There are three major parts in a blastocyst - a fluid-filled cavity called blastocoele located inside the structure, embryoblast or Inner Cell Mass (ICM) that results in embryo proper, and trophoblast that surrounds ICM and forms the placenta afterward. It is the embryoblast that is used in embryonic stem cell research studies.

Culturing of Embryonic Stem cells
Another fact that has been established through prolonged embryonic stem cell research is that the isolated inner cell mass is grown in a specific culture medium under controlled environmental conditions. For about 6 months or more, this procedure is conducted repeatedly to develop embryonic stem cell line. The stem cells that remain pluripotent even after repeated propagation are collectively called embryonic cell line. They are tested for self-renewal and growth in a long-term basis. Certain precautions are taken to avoid contamination of the cells and the growing environment during the cell culture process.

Application of Embryonic Stem cells
Coming to the application of embryonic stem cell research, it has the potential for curing medical conditions caused by defective cells. Virtually, there is no direct therapeutic intervention for Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer and alike medical problems. For understanding the practical implementation of embryonic stem cells, let's take the example of diabetes. This disease is caused due to malfunctioning of the islet cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for secreting insulin hormone. The embryonic stem cells can be coaxed to develop into islet cells, after which they can be transplanted into diabetic patients. Learning stem cell research pros and cons will help you in knowing the plus and minus points of using stem cells in studies.

That was an overview of embryonic stem cell research, including the advantage of stem cells derived from embryos, the source of embryos, culturing ICM and application of embryonic stem cells. As a concluding note, it is with the progresses in embryonic stem cell research that curative treatments are being purported for improving the lives of people, who are diagnosed with genetic disorders and chronic diseases.