Research and Therapeutic Use of Stem Cells

Introduction

• Stem cell research has led to significant medical advancements since the 1980s.
• Stem cells hold promise for various therapeutic applications.

Growing Skin for Burn Patients

• Skin stem cells have been utilised to grow sheets of new skin for individuals with severe burns.
• Limitation: Newly grown skin lacks hair follicles, sweat glands, and oil glands.
• Ongoing research aims to address these limitations.

Repairing Corneal Damage with Limbal Stem Cells

• Medical research has demonstrated the potential of tissue stem cells from the limbus (part of the eye) to repair damaged corneas (front of the eye).
• Procedure:
  1. Limbal stem cells are obtained from the patient.
  2. These cells are cultured in the lab.
  3. Cultured cells are transplanted onto the patient's damaged eye(s).
• Goal: To restore vision.
• Limitation: Effective only when some undamaged limbal cells are present in one of the patient's eyes.

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Research and Therapeutic Use of Stem Cells

Future Research and Applications

• Ongoing research continues to explore the use of stem cells for various medical conditions.
• Potential applications include tissue regeneration, organ transplantation, and treatment of degenerative diseases.