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About the Different Types of Stem Cells

Stem cell research is one of the most controversial issues in the medical field, due mainly to its use of discarded human embryos. Stem cell research has the potential to alleviate the suffering of millions of people, but it is still at the infant stages of research and testing.

  1. The Facts

    • Stem cells are found in the human body and particularly within human embryos. They can be considered starter cells that have the ability to grow into any other specialized type of cell. Since stem cells may be able to repair or replace damaged tissues, they have the potential to treat of cure people suffering from many types of cancer, diabetes, or blood and heart diseases.

    Type

    • There are two main types of stem cells. They are known as limited stem cells or unlimited stem cells. Unlimited stem cells considered the most versatile and easiest stem cells to work with. However, they are also the most controversial of the stem cell types, as they are obtained from fetuses discarded during fertility treatments.

      Limited stem cells are extremely rare stem cells found in the already developed organs of adults. These are much more limited in their use, but do not have the controversy surrounded them like unlimited stem cells do.

      There is some small evidence that it may be possible to get stem cells using an unfertilized egg and a cell from an adult, but not much is known about this process at this time, and further study is needed before scientists are willing to count it as another type of stem cell.

    Misconceptions

    • There are several misconceptions about stem cells. Many people are afraid that allowing stem cell research will result in human farming by scientists to get more stem cells. Stem cell researchers have resoundly rejected this idea and, in fact, have pushed for a full ban on human farming. Each year millions of embryos are discarded, or left frozen until they are useless, by fertility clinics. Stem cell researchers say this source of embryos is more than adequate for their needs.

    Benefits

    • Stem cells have the possibility of creating treatments or cures for many diseases that currently have neither. Stem cells may be able to treat or cure such things as Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and spinal cord injuries, among many others.

    Risk Factors

    • Some of the few studies that have been conducted into the long term effects of stem cell treatments have shown an elevated risk of cancer later on down the road. One U.S. company has said that they have found a way to significantly reduce this not completely understood risk, but it will be many years and many trials and tests before this can be said definitively.

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