Stem cells are in the news, because it offers umpteen possibilities to all sorts of patients, particularly to victims of illness viz. Parkinson's disease, diabetes, arthritis, burn victims, etc. A stem cell has two salient features:
(1) It's capable of seemingly endless production, division after division, producing descendants just itself and
(2) It's cable of producing cells that are committed to differentiate into special into special cell types viz. muscle fibres, lymphocytes, neurons or bone cells (because these two are embryonic cells). Because of these two very unique and special features, stem cells may have the potential for manifold therapeutic uses, e.g.,
(i) to regenerate worn-out tissues
(ii) to replace lost organs or body parts
(iii) to correct brain or spinal cord injuries and
(iv) to alleviate biochemical defects.
These "dreams" have turned into "reality" for several animals, e.g., stems cells derived from mouse embroyes can form neuronal support cells compensating for a biochemical defect. similarly, they also can form neurons that partially restore spinal cord function in rats with spinal cord injury.
However for humans it's infancy and more of a "function" rather than "reality". but, there's hope to accident victims , patients suffering from several debilitating illness viz. Parkinson's disease, severe arthritis, paraplegics, burn victims, etc.
Although this technique is highly promising but it also raises many moral questions. The ethical issue is on procurement of these stem cells, that is, from embryos or adult body issue. Can embryonic life be sacrificed for making an adult life better? These and several other questions have generated a vigorous debate on its usage among politic ans, religious leaders,journalists and even entrepreneurs.
Recently in 2011, a group of stem cell researchers have been able to direct embryonic and induced human stem cells to become "astrocytes" -the most common cells of the human nervous system in a lab dish.
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