Adult vs. Embryonic Stem Cells – Brown University

Advantages of Adult Stem Cells

Both lines of stem cells have an enormous therapeutic potential. While embryonic stem cells offer the potential for wider therapeutic applications, adult stem cells avoid the ethical issues roused by embryonic stem cell research. Therefore, many stem cell therapies are currently being tested using adult stem cells. Additionally, adult stem cells offer the potential for autologous stem cell donation, which may help to avoid issues of immune rejection in certain situations.

It is also known that upon injection into mice with compromised immune systems, undifferentiated embryonic stem cells elicit the formation of a benign tumor called a teratoma. This tumor formation causes scientists to doubt the therapeutic applicability of embryonic stem cells. It is not yet known whether similar results are observed with adult stem cells [17].

Advantages of Embryonic Stem Cells

The advantages of embryonic stem cells is that they offer one cell source for multiple indications. They provide the potential for a wider variety of applications than do adult stem cells. Additionally, they theoretically have the possibility of being immuno-privileged, due to their highly undifferentiated state. A privileged immune status would remove one of the main barriers of stem cell therapies, as self rejection is one stem cell therapys main complications [17]. The idea that embryonic stem cells can be immune privilaged, must be viewed skeptically, however, as this theory has not yet been proven.

Another advantage of embryonic stem cells, is that they appear to be immortal in vitro, while adult and differentiated stem cells cannot be cultured indefinitely in the lab. Once differentiated, these stem cells seem to die off like typical tissue cells.

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Adult vs. Embryonic Stem Cells - Brown University

Adult Stem Cells Effective Against MS | National Review Online

THIS CANT BE TRUE! Embryonic stem cells are the ONLY HOPE, the scientists and their media and celebrity camp followers repeatedly insistedas they urged priority funding for studies from embryonic.

Except, those who argued that adult stem cells offered great potential are the ones being proven rightas embryonic successes are almost nowhere to be seen.

Now, the early indications of a possibly efficacious treatment for MS are looking to be even more hopeful. From the Science Alert story:

A group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have had their immune systems destroyed and then rebuilt using their own blood stem cells. Three years later, 86 percent of them have had no relapses, and 91 percent are showing no signs of MS development.

Wunderbar.

Now, think of the people with MS who have had assisted suicide out of despair, cheered on by the death with dignity crowd. In Belgium, some MS patients have even coupled their killings with organ harvesting.

Youd think this ongoing success would make huge headlines. I mean, imagine if it was an embryonic stem cell success. But for the media, adult stem cells are still the wrong stem cells.

Heres a good formula going forward: Good ethics = good science = good medicine = true hope.

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Adult Stem Cells Effective Against MS | National Review Online

Why are Adult Stem Cells Important? | Boston Children’s …

Adult stem cells are the bodys toolbox, called into action by normal wear and tear on the body, and when serious damage or disease attack. Researchers believe that adult stem cells also have the potential, as yet untapped, to be tools in medicine. Scientists and physicians are working towards being able to treat patients with their own stem cells, or with banked donor stem cells that match them genetically.

Grown in large enough numbers in the lab, then transplanted into the patient, these cells could repair an injury or counter a diseaseproviding more insulin-producing cells for people with type 1 diabetes, for example, or cardiac muscle cells to help people recover from a heart attack. This approach is called regenerative medicine.

A number of challenges must be overcome before the full therapeutic potential of adult stem cells can be realized. Scientists are exploring practical ways of harvesting and maintaining most types of adult stem cells. Right now, scientists do not have the ability to grow the cells in the amounts needed for treatment. More work is also needed to find practical ways to direct the different kinds of cells to where theyre needed in the body, preferably without the need for surgery or other invasive methods.

Research in all aspects of adult stem cells and their potential is underway at Childrens Hospital Boston. Realizing that potential will require years of research, but promising strides are being made.

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Why are Adult Stem Cells Important? | Boston Children's ...

Stem Cells Market Analysis by Product (Adult Stem Cells …

FEATURED COMPANIES

Chapter 1. Executive Summary 1.1. Stem Cells - Industry Summary and Critical Success Factors (CSFs)

Chapter 2. Stem Cells Industry Outlook 2.1. Market Segmentation 2.2. Market Size and Growth Prospects 2.3. Stem Cells Market Dynamics 2.3.1. Market Driver Analysis 2.3.2. Market Restraint Analysis 2.4. Key Opportunities Prioritized 2.5. Industry Analysis - Porter's 2.6. Stem Cells Market PESTEL Analysis, 2012

Chapter 3. Stem Cells Product Outlook 3.1.1. Adult Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.1.1. Hematopoietic Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.1.2. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.1.3. Neuronal Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.1.4. Dental Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.1.5. Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.2. Human Embryonic Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.3. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.4. Natural Rosette Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 3.1.5. Very Small Embryonic Like Cells Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million)

Chapter 4. Stem Cells Application Outlook 4.1.1. Regenerative Medicine Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.1. Neurology Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.2. Orthopedics Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.3. Oncology Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.4. Hematology Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.5. Cardiovascular and Myocardial Infraction Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.6. Injuries Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.7. Diabetes Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.8. Liver Disorder Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.9. Incontinence Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.1.10. Others Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 4.1.2. Drug Discovery and Development Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million)

Chapter 5. Stem Cells Technology Outlook 5.1. Cell Acquisition Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.1.1. Bone Marrow Harvest Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.1.2. Apheresis Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.1.3. Umbilical Blood Cord Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.2. Cell Production Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.2.1. Therapeutic Cloning Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.2.2. In Vitro Fertilization Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.2.3. Isolation Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.2.4. Cell Culture Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.3. Cryopreservation Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 5.4. Expansion and Sub-Culture Market Estimates and Forecasts, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million)

Chapter 6. Stem Cells Regional Outlook 6.1. North America 6.1.1. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Products, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.1.2. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Applications, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.1.3. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Technology, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.2. Europe 6.2.1. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Products, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.2.2. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Applications, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.2.3. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Technology, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.3. Asia Pacific 6.3.1. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Products, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.3.2. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Applications, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.3.3. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Technology, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.4. RoW 6.4.1. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Products, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.4.2. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Applications, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) 6.4.3. Market Estimates and Forecasts, by Technology, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million)

Chapter 7. Stem Cells Competitive landscape 7.1 Advanced Cell Technology Inc. 7.1.1 Company Overview 7.1.2 Financial Performance 7.1.3 Product Benchmarking 7.1.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.2 STEMCELL Technologies Inc. 7.2.1 Company Overview 7.2.2 Financial Performance 7.2.3 Product Benchmarking 7.2.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.3 Cellular Engineering Technologies Inc. 7.3.1 Company Overview 7.3.2 Financial Performance 7.3.3 Product Benchmarking 7.3.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.4 BioTime Inc. 7.4.1 Company Overview 7.4.2 Financial Performance 7.4.3 Product Benchmarking 7.4.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.5 Cellartis AB 7.5.1 Company Overview 7.5.2 Financial Performance 7.5.3 Product Benchmarking 7.5.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.6 Angel Biotechnology 7.6.1 Company Overview 7.6.2 Financial Performance 7.6.3 Product Benchmarking 7.6.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.7 Bioheart Inc. 7.7.1 Company Overview 7.7.2 Financial Performance 7.7.3 Product Benchmarking 7.7.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.8 BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics 7.8.1 Company Overview 7.8.2 Financial Performance 7.8.3 Product Benchmarking 7.8.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.9 Celgene Corporation 7.9.1 Company Overview 7.9.2 Financial Performance 7.9.3 Product Benchmarking 7.9.4 Strategic Initiatives 7.10 Osiris Therapeutics 7.10.1 Company Overview 7.10.2 Financial Performance 7.10.3 Product Benchmarking 7.10.4 Strategic Initiatives

Chapter 8. Methodology and Scope 8.1. Research Methodology 8.2. Research Scope & Assumption 8.3. List of Data Sources

List of Tables: Stem Cells - Industry summary & Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Global Stem Cells revenue, 2012 - 2020 Global Stem Cells market revenue by region, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Global Stem Cells market revenue by products, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Global Stem Cells platforms, 2012 to 2020 (USD million) Global Stem Cells Market, by Region, 2012 to 2020 (USD million) Global Stem Cells Market, by Technology, 2012 - 2020 (USD million) Global Stem Cells Market, by Applications, 2012 - 2020 (USD million) North America Stem Cells demand, by products, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 North America Stem Cells demand, by applications, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 North America Stem Cells demand, by technology, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Europe Stem Cells demand, by products, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Europe Stem Cells demand, by applications, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Europe Stem Cells demand, by technology, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Asia Pacific Stem Cells demand, by products, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Asia Pacific Stem Cells demand, by applications, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Asia Pacific Stem Cells demand, by technology, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 RoW Stem Cells demand, by products, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 RoW Stem Cells demand, by applications, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 RoW Stem Cells demand, by technology, (USD million), 2012 - 2020 Global Stem Cells Market - Competitive Landscape List of Figures: Stem Cells Market Segmentation Global Stem Cells Market Revenue, 2012 - 2020 Stem Cells Market Dynamics Key Opportunities Prioritized Industry Analysis - Porter's Stem Cells PESTEL Analysis, 2012 North America Stem Cells Market, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million) Europe Stem Cells Market, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million RoW Stem Cells Market, 2012 - 2020 (USD Million)

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Stem Cells Market Analysis by Product (Adult Stem Cells ...

WHERE DO WE GET ADULT STEM CELLS? – Stem cell

There are several ways adult stem cells can be isolated, most of which are being actively explored by our researchers.

1) From the body itself: Scientists are discovering that many tissues and organs contain a small number of adult stem cells that help maintain them. Adult stem cells have been found in the brain, bone marrow, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, and other (although not all) organs and tissues. They are thought to live in a specific area of each tissue, where they may remain dormant for years, dividing and creating new cells only when they are activated by tissue injury, disease or anything else that makes the body need more cells.

Adult stem cells can be isolated from the body in different ways, depending on the tissue. Blood stem cells, for example, can be taken from a donors bone marrow, from blood in the umbilical cord when a baby is born, or from a persons circulating blood. Mesenchymal stem cells, which can make bone, cartilage, fat, fibrous connective tissue, and cells that support the formation of blood can also be isolated from bone marrow. Neural stem cells (which form the brains three major cell types) have been isolated from the brain and spinal cord. Research teams at Childrens, headed by leading scientists Stuart Orkin, MD and William Pu, MD, both affiliate members of the Stem Cell Program, recently isolated cardiac stem cells from the heart.

Isolating adult stem cells, however, is just the first step. The cells then need to be grown to large enough numbers to be useful for treatment purposes. The laboratory of Leonard Zon, MD, director of the Stem Cell Program, has developed a technique for boosting numbers of blood stem cells thats now in Phase I clinical testing.

2) From amniotic fluid: Amniotic fluid, which bathes the fetus in the womb, contains fetal cells including mesenchymal stem cells, which are able to make a variety of tissues. Many pregnant women elect to have amniotic fluid drawn to test for chromosome defects, the procedure known as amniocentesis. This fluid is normally discarded after testing, but Childrens Hospital Boston surgeon Dario Fauza, MD, a Principal Investigator at Childrens and an affiliate member of the Stem Cell Program, has been investigating the idea of isolating mesenchymal stem cells and using them to grow new tissues for babies who have birth defects detected while they are still in the womb, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia. These tissues would match the baby genetically, so would not be rejected by the immune system, and could be implanted either in utero or after the baby is born.

3) From pluripotent stem cells: Because embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent cells (iPS cells), which are functionally similar, are able to create all types of cells and tissues, scientists at Childrens and elsewhere hope to use them to produce many different kinds of adult stem cells. Laboratories around the world are testing different chemical and mechanical factors that might prod embryonic stem cells or iPS cells into forming a particular kind of adult stem cell. Adult stem cells made in this fashion would potentially match the patient genetically, eliminating both the problem of tissue rejection and the need for toxic therapies to suppress the immune system.

4) From other adult stem cells: A number of research groups have reported that certain kinds of adult stem cells can transform, or differentiate, into apparently unrelated cell types (such as brain stem cells that differentiate into blood cells or blood-forming cells that differentiate into cardiac muscle cells). This phenomenon, called transdifferentiation, has been reported in some animals. However, its still far from clear how versatile adult stem cells really are, whether transdifferentiation can occur in human cells, or whether it could be made to happen reliably in the lab.

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WHERE DO WE GET ADULT STEM CELLS? - Stem cell

Adult Stem Cells – Research – Stem Cell Biology and …

Researchers are expanding their understanding of identified adult stem cells, which include blood-forming, brain, skin and skeletal muscle stem cells, while working to isolate stem cells for the lung, liver, kidney, heart and other tissues. This work is providing the basis for ongoing preclinical and clinical trials of organ and tissue regeneration from healthy adult stem cells.

By identifying adult stem cells from other tissues such as lungs or liver, researchers at the institute are working to understand how those tissues develop and what goes wrong when those tissues become diseased. For example, having already identified adult stem cells in the brains of mice and humans, researchers can now use those stem cells to understand how cells of the developing brain differentiate into the many different cell types found in the adult brain. By working out the molecular mechanisms by which adult stem cells self-renew or differentiate, researchers may be able to understand what processes go awry in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The study of adult stem cells could also lead to insights into cancer cell biology. Recent studies indicate that cancers are continually replenished by a small population of cancer stem cells that are capable of self-renewal. By studying adult stem cells to learn more about the genes involved in self-renewal, it may be possible to identify new molecular targets for drug and immune therapies that destroy the self-renewing cancer stem cells.

Drawing on its increasing understanding of tissue or organ-specific stem cells , the institute is exploring the ability of these cells to replenish or repair damaged or congenitally abnormal tissues or organs. Tissue-specific stem cells may one day be used to replenish cells damaged by Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis or diabetes.

One example of tissue regeneration is in bone marrow transplants, where blood-forming stem cells regenerate the blood of transplant recipients who receive otherwise lethal doses of chemotherapy to destroy all the cancer cells in the body. Stanford was the first institution in the United States to use purified blood-forming stem cells rather than whole bone marrow transplants to regenerate the bone marrow in chemotherapy patients. By using purified stem cells rather than whole bone marrow taken from the patient before chemotherapy, doctors avoid re-injecting patients with their own cancer cells.

Isolating adult stem cells from a variety of tissues in addition to the blood and brain stem cells could also help in other areas of cancer treatment. Doctors could then give high doses of radiation to destroy tumors in tissues such as brain, lungs or liver, and inject tissue-specific stem cells to replace radiation-damaged cells.

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Adult Stem Cells - Research - Stem Cell Biology and ...

Stem Cell Research Facts – Adult Stem Cell Success

"I Will Walk Again" The Laura Dominguez Story If there was ever a woman on a mission, its Laura Dominguez. Doctors once told her shed never walk again. And while shes not ready to run a marathon, shes already proving them wrong, with the best yet to come.

An oil spill on a San Antonio freeway is blamed for the car crash that sent Laura and her brother directly into a retaining wall one summer afternoon in 2001. Laura was just 16 years old at the time and the crash left her completely paralyzed from the neck down. Surgeons say she suffered whats known as a C6 vertebrae fracture that severely damaged her spinal cord.

I refused to accept their prognosis that I never would walk again and began searching for other options, says Laura. After stays in several hospitals for nearly a year, Laura and her mother relocated to San Diego, CA so that she could undergo extensive physical therapy. While in California, they met a family whose daughter was suffering from a similar spinal cord injury. They were also looking for other alternatives to deal with spinal cord injuries.

After extensive research and consultations with medical experts in the field of spinal cord injuries, they decided to explore a groundbreaking new surgical procedure using adult stem cells pioneered by Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal.

The surgery involved the removal of tissue from the olfactory sinus area at the back of the nose--and transplanting it into the spinal cord at the injury site. Both procedures, the harvesting of the tissue and the transplant, were done at the same time. Laura was the tenth person in the world and the second American to have this procedure done and was featured in a special report by PBS called Miracle Cell. (Link to Miracle Cell (PBS) Episode)

Following the surgery she returned to California where she continued with the physical therapy regimen, then eventually returned home to San Antonio. Upon her return home, an MRI revealed her spinal cord was beginning to heal. Approximately 70% of the lesion now looked like normal spinal cord tissue. More importantly to Laura, she began to regain feeling in parts of her upper body and within six months of the surgery regained feeling down to her abdomen.

Improvements in sensory feelings have continued until the present time. She can feel down to her hips, and has regained feeling and some movement in her legs. Lauras upper body has gained more strength and balance and one of the most evident improvements has been her ability to stand and remain standing, using a walker, and with minimal assistance. When she stands she can contract her quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

Every week it seems Im able to do something new, something different that I hadnt done the week before, says Laura.

Now Lauras story is poised to take a new, potentially groundbreaking turn. In the Fall of 2009, she traveled again to Portugal where adult stem cells were extracted from her nose for culturing. As this story is written, she is preparing to fly back to Portugal where scar tissue at her injury site will be removed and her own adult stem cells injected in the area of her original wound.

The Laura Dominguez story is not complete. The next chapter may or may not yield the results she seeksbut no one can deny the determination and courage of Laura. For her part, she has one goal in mind: I will walk again.

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Stem Cell Research Facts - Adult Stem Cell Success

Adult Stem Cells 101 | Boston Children’s Hospital

Although commonly used and accepted, the term "adult stem cells" is a little misleading, since these cells are actually found in infants and children as well as in adults. Adult stem cells produce the different kinds of cells that maintain the bodys tissues and organs, and, importantly, they have the ability to divide and reproduce indefinitely. These cells typically produce the type of tissue in which they are found. Adult stem cells are sometimes also called somatic stem cells.

Various types of adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues. They range from cells that are able to form many different kinds of tissues to more specialized cells that form just some of the cells of a particular tissue or organ. Mesenchymal stem cells, for example, are adult stem cells that form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon, ligaments, muscle cells, skin cells and even nerve cells. In contrast, hematopoietic stem cells give rise to blood cells only (red cells, white cells and platelets), while neural stem cells form only cells in the nervous system.

Often confused with adult stem cell, progenitor cells are early descendants of stem cells that can differentiate to form one or more kinds of cells, but cannot divide and reproduce indefinitely.

Some tissues and organs have more adult stem cells than others. Those organs with fewer or no stem cells (the heart, for example) dont readily regenerate when they are injured or diseased.

Scientists around the world are actively studying ways to isolate different kinds of adult stem cells, to control and expand the rate at which they make copies of themselves, and to learn how to direct them to form the specific cell types needed for treatment.

Learn more about adult stem cells by clicking on these links:

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Adult Stem Cells 101 | Boston Children's Hospital

The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

For more articles on biology and medicine, see Biology and Medicine categories in index.

BIOLOGY & MEDICINE

The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

by Wolfgang Lillge, M.D.

(Full text of article from Winter 2001-2002 21st Century)

Problems of Therapeutic Cloning

Whoever Would Cure, Must Use Adult Stem Cells

Human Treatments

For more articles on biology and medicine, check the subject index

The question of stem cells is currently the dominant subject in the debate over biotechnology and human genetics: Should we use embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells for future medical therapies? Embryonic stem cells are taken from a developing embryo at the blastocyst stage, destroying the embryo, a developing human life. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are found in all tissues of the growing human being and, according to latest reports, also have the potential to transform themselves into practically all other cell types, or revert to being stem cells with greater reproductive capacity. Embryonic stem cells have not yet been used for even one therapy, while adult stem cells have already been successfully used in numerous patients, including for cardiac infarction (death of some of the heart tissue).

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The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

Adult Stem Cells’ Role in Disease Management and Anti-Aging

By Dr. Mercola

Since time immemorial, man has searched for the Fountain of Youth. Nothing has changed in that regard, but the methods of inquiry and discovery have certainly progressed.

Some of these ideas rival even the most outlandish sci-fi scenarios imaginable, up to and including the transfer of your consciousness into a bionic body.1 Personally, I dont want to veer too far from the natural order of things.

But the technology and science enthusiast in me cant help but be intrigued by the ideas and radical advances in the field of extreme life extension. One of the most promising techniques in this field, from my perspective, revolves around the use of adult stem cells.

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found throughout your body. They multiply and replace cells as needed, in order to regenerate damaged tissues. Their value, in terms of anti-aging and life extension, centers around their ability to self-renew indefinitely, and their ability to generate every type of cell needed for the organ from which it originates.

Dr. Bryant Villeponteau, author of Decoding Longevity, is a leading researcher in novel anti-aging therapies involving stem cells. Hes been a pioneer in this area for over three decades.

Personally, I believe that stem cell technology could have a dramatic influence on our ability to live longer and replace some of our failing parts, which is the inevitable result of the aging process. With an interest in aging and longevity, Dr. Villeponteau started out by studying developmental biology.

If we could understand development, we could understand aging, he says.

Later, his interest turned more toward the gene regulation aspects. While working as a professor at the University of Michigan at the Institute of Gerontology, he received, and accepted, a job offer from Geron Corporationa Bay Area startup, in the early 90s.

They were working on telomerase, which I was pretty excited about at the time. I joined them when they first started, he says. We had an all-out engagement there to clone human telomerase. It had been cloned in other animals but not in humans or mammals.

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Adult Stem Cells' Role in Disease Management and Anti-Aging