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STEM CELL RESEARCH Stem Cell Research Dominique Turner Southeast Arkansas College Nursing Care of Mothers and Infants 1232 Fall 2007 Mrs. Katina Camp October 18, 2007 Stem Cell Research Recently stem cell researches have been the subjects of heated debates. Stem cells caused great interest not only within the scientists, but also within public. The events that took place in 2005 - 2006 reflected the rise and collapse of one of the most famous scientists - Korean researcher Dr Hwang Woo-suk, who competed for the first place in cloning of the human embryo stem cell lines. Mass media throughout the world presented the unbiased viewpoints concerning the activity of this researcher; along with the dramatic events that brought the light onto potentially possible use of stem cells in medical practice along with the impact stem cell research may have on society and the reasons why it may be true.
No other science and no other field of research have ever caused such a great interest of public and such heated scientific debates like stem cell research. The scientists claimed they finally became capable of curing plenty of diseases, ranging from the heart diseases and diabetes to neurodegenerative disorders. In March 2004, the South Korean scientists announced that they managed to get ES (human embryo stem cells), the genetic complex (genotype) of which was identical to donor cells. The human embryo stem cells were received by transferring genetic material - SCNT (Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) (Carrier, 2004). In June 2005 there was yet another scholar article published by the same group of scientists. According to it, the scientists claimed they managed to obtain 11 genetically identical cell lines that were taken from patients with the damaged spinal cord and other diseases.
Within the same year South Korean postal service created a stamp dedicated to stem cell research with the hope that the results of this research will be used for medical treatment of spinal cord damages and some other severe diseases. Yet, soon after the stamp was put on sale, the results of the researches published in the scientific works of Dr Hwang Woo-suk and his colleagues, were discredited. Nevertheless, the debates around stem cell research and their possible impact on future medicine continue to occur. Stem cells have several unique features. Firstly, stem cells have the ability for self-renewing due to their capability of unrestricted segmentation as they are able to create genetically identical daughter cells. Secondly, stem cells are able to differentiate themselves into almost any types of cells in the organism.
No wonder that these unique features of the stem cells attract the scientists throughout the world. In addition, stem cells are the ideal object for research and study of oncogenesis and development disorders. As far as stem cells are able to differentiate themselves into any type of the cells (in normal conditions), this feature equips the scientists with the hope that they will be able to develop the methods of cell therapy applicable during medical treatment of various severe diseases (Prentice, 2003). Next, stem cells can be classified in accordance with their ability for transformation. Such plenipotent cells (for example, the cells like hematopoietic stem cells) are able to differentiate into the cells of erythroid, white blood cells or megakaryocytic blastemas (Carrier, 2004). In theory, plenipotent cells are able to differentiate into any type of cells of the organism.
There are three major types of human plenipotent stem cells: embryo ES-cells that were obtained from the inner cellular mass of embryos blastocyst es prior to implantation; embryo cells that were obtained from the testicular carcinoma; embryo germinative cells that were obtained from the primordial germinal layer (blastophyllum) after implantation; In 1984 Thomson and other researchers used different environments and conditions of incubation demonstrated that human ES-cells are able to differentiate into many types of mature cells, including myocytes, neurocytes, osteophytes, and islet cells of the abdominal salivary gland (Prentice, 2003). The subsequent researches also have proved that human ES-cells are able to purposefully differentiate themselves into various types of cells (nerve tissue cells, insulin- secreting cells, cardiac histiocytes, hematopoietic cells, endotheliocytes, osteoblasts, and hepatocytes). In 2002 Wichterle and other researchers demonstrated that mice ES-cells can be induced for development in motor nerve cells of the spinal cord, and further migrate into the place of their corresponding location in ventral horn of spinal cord of the chicken embryos in the stage of development (Prentice, 2003). Some cells were also able to form axons that take part in development of the neuromuscular synapse in the area of extremities in their stage of development. Probably, this kind of research will be of use in the experiments with human stem cells. However, cell therapy with the usage of human stem cells will hardly be the reality in the nearest future, as there are many obstacles on the way.
To a great extent these limitations relate to the issues of delivery of cell material into the organs of destinations, the issues of safety regarding the application of this method, along with some other ethical issues. Therefore, all aspects of the given problem are the subjects to further in-depth examination. Besides, there is a risk of animal agents of disease transfer, because human stem cell lines are usually cultivated and incubated using such products of animal origin like mice nutrient mediums, and ox blood serum. Stem cells by nature have the ability for unlimited cell division; therefore it is necessary to develop the most reliable methods of research for examination whether the cells have no oncogenicity or any other pathogenic features. Another obstacle that makes the use of stem cells in medical treatment is the risk of immune rejection that may occur because of the fact that the stem cells progeny will contain the same antigenic markers on their surface similar to the cells of the organs usually used for transplantation purposes. As it is claimed by stem cell researchers, SCNT (Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) is the method that allows to overcome all potential difficulties (Juengst, 2004).
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer is the first step in the process of cloning. Sheep Dolly is one of the most famous samples of cloning both among the scientists and the wide public. SCNT is also used to create genetically and immunologically compatible plenipotent stem cells for its further usage in medical practice. SCNT is also referred to as therapeutic or research cloning. SCNT method consists of transfer of the nucleus of mature somatic cell into the oo plasm with its own nucleus removed. Then, the researchers stimulate the fission of the oocyte, and all chromosomes obtained in result of the blastocyst extraction will be identical to those in donor nucleus.
In case donor nucleus was obtained from the patients cell, the cells obtained in the result of fission will be genetically and immunologically identical to the given patient. Therefore, in theory it is possible to solve the problem of immune rejection that may occur during the process of cell therapy. This assumption was really shocking, and South Korean researchers became the first scientists who managed to present the possibility of efficient use of therapeutic cloning to obtain human stem cell lines. The possibility to obtain the model for further examination of human diseases became theoretically real. Moreover, practical application of the method of stem cell transplantation has been very promising. Unfortunately, soon after the article of South Korean scientist Dr Hwang Woo-suk was published in June 2005, the scientists were accused of unethical researches and scientific fraud.
According to these accusations, the researcher paid some women for the possibility to use their ovum's, and obtained donor ovum's from the participants of his own research group. Then the authenticity of the research samples, as well as the results of stem cell research of 2005 was put into doubt (Researcher Faked Evidence of Human Cloning, Koreans Report, Nicholas Wade and Choe Sang-Hun, 2006). The scientists insisted on investigation and, finally, under the influence of the group of young scientists from Seoul National University (SNU), there were created a committee in order to examine the activity of South Korean researchers, and authenticity of stem cell research. In January 2006, according to the SNU final report the results provided by South Korean scientists were falsified and the scientists were accused of unethical scientific behavior. In fact, human ES-cells, supposedly created by SCNT method in 2004, have never existed.
The same was confirmed in relation to patient-specific cellular lines that were reported by South Korean scientists approximately one year later. In 2006 Korean scientist Dr Hwang Woo-suk, the pioneer of cloning, was fired from SNU and was accused of scientific fraud (Researcher Faked Evidence of Human Cloning, Koreans Report, Nicholas Wade and Choe Sang-Hun, 2006). Nevertheless, the disputes concerning stem cells and their potential use in medicine continue to occur. Obviously, stem cells are unique and thus present great scientific value. As we have understood, these cells are so-called building blocks of the bodies, as they have the ability to transform into and to regenerate the cells that constitute human organs, bones, and tissues. In such a way, if applied properly, the stem cell therapy may be, probably, the most effective and the most unique method, able to cure the humankind from severe and hereditary diseases, thus having great impact on the modern society, as well as on medicine in the future.
References Carrier, E. (2004). 100 questions & answers about bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Juengst, E. (2004). The ethics of embryonic stem cells now and forever, cells without end. Journal of the American Medical Association 2004, 284, 3175 - 3179. Prentice, D.
A. (2003). Stem Cells and Cloning. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. Researcher Faked Evidence of Human Cloning, Koreans Report, Nicholas Wade and Choe Sang-Hun. (2006, January 10).
The New York Times.
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