How Stem Cells Can Help Spinal Cords

Stem Cells I just wanted to write you a letter letting you know a little bit about stem cells. I know the doctors have identified you as a good candidate for a trial using stem cell therapy, and -- since you asked -- I thought this would be a good opportunity to share with you what I have learned on this subject. Like all subjects, it can be simplified or made complex. I will try to strike a balance between the two extremes in this letter.

First off, stem cells are not like ordinary cells. When I say "ordinary" I mean the kind of cells you are probably used to thinking about -- cells that perform a special function -- like red blood cells (they carry oxygen through the blood stream). Stem cells are unspecialized. They have no physiological properties that define them per se. What they can do, however, is something quite special -- they can replicate. They are unique in the body because of this: they have the ability to self-renew.

A red blood cell or a muscle cell cannot do that (Euro Stem Cell, 2012). The great thing about science is that thanks to the scientific method, we have been able to identify different types of stem cells and make progress towards using them to help people with severe injuries overcome their injuries and become whole again. The scientific method is really a simple process -- but by following it great things can be discovered.

The first step in the scientific method is to ask a question -- and you have done that by asking me about stem cells. The second step is to do background research, and that is what I'm helping you with here today. The third, fourth and fifth steps are to construct a hypothesis, conduct an experimental test, and to ask whether the procedure is working. More steps follow -- but before we get ahead of ourselves, let's turn back and finish up with the research stage.

The biology of stem cells is such that they are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and through the act of mitosis can produce more stem cells. They are like the repair guys that you call when your house gets hit by a strong wind. They come with the tools and rebuild the house. In adults like yourself, stem cells replenish tissue. Now, there are two main types of stem cells -- embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.

Scientists in laboratories have worked on producing other types, such as induced pluripotent stem cells -- which are essentially rebooted adult stem cells that are made to act like embryonic stem cells. Amazing, right? Stem cells can be retrieved from three sources: bone marrow, lipid cells and blood. Umbilical cord blood is one place from where they are taken, for example. As for how stem cells would be used in your case, researchers have already supplied us with the answer.

Clinical trials are underway around the world and one method that is attracting attention is the use of neural stem cell transplants -- these are stem cells taken from brain tissue that are used to produce each of the three main neural cells located in the central nervous system. Another type of stem cell that is being investigated is the mesenchymal stem cell, which can come from the bone marrow of the patient, and which are then injected into the spinal cord.

These are just two types of trials being conducted today (Spinal Cord Injuries, 2015). All of this research indicates that stem cells are helpful in rebuilding spinal cords after injury -- but more studies need to be conducted, of course -- and that is where you come in. You could make a significant contribution to the scientific method. Before we move on, however, let's talk a little bit about the pros and cons of stem cells and why there is some controversy regarding them.

The controversy that has arisen in the past regarding stem cell research is derived from the source of stem cells -- namely, pro-life advocates have protested the use of stem cells taken from human embryos, which raised ethical concerns about human life. Other concerns were raised when cells were taken from aborted fetuses, etc. Now, however, these controversies are less of a concern because scientists have learned to make adult stem cells act like embryonic cells.

Moreover, embryonic cells when injected can cause tumors because they begin producing cells in every direction, essentially. Moreover, there is risk that the immune system will reject them. Adult stem cells are more likely to be accepted by the immune system when they are taken from the patient. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells programmed to act like embryonic cells minus the likelihood of the body's rejecting them.

The value that stem cells have in spinal cord research is that they can be injected into the spinal cord to help the damaged cells to be regenerated. Already these cells are being used to treat various injuries and/or diseases like leukemia. Today, neural stem cells are receiving a lot of focus because they have been shown to help form new synaptic relays and improve electrophysiological and functional growth (Lu et al., 2012).

This study is one that is very helpful in identifying the scientific data associated with this research -- as opposed to pseudoscientific research that is posted on non-scientific websites. Such sites should be avoided if you are looking to investigate this subject on your own. They do not employ the scientific method -- and let's get back to that now that we have conducted our background info.

What good scientists do once they have gathered the necessary background info, formed a hypothesis and tested it to see if it works is they now analyze the conclusions. If the procedure did not work then they ask why -- and if it did they draw conclusions, see how well they conclusions align with the hypothesis and then they communicate the results in studies like the one written up by Lu et al. (2012).

This is standard operating procedure in the scientific community and many such studies can be found and read using scholarly databases and search engines like Google Scholar. So while I am giving you just a little bit of information, you should feel free to do some more research on your own and see for yourself what the scientific community is saying about this subject. I can recommend a few more studies in particular to look at. Sabelstrom et al. (2013) and Mothe et al.

(2013) both examine the impact of stem cell usage on spinal cord injuries and can provide more scientific data for you to digest. My own opinion on this matter is that stem cells are a great thing to look into for someone in your position. They can be used to help repair spinal cords and limit damage by replicating new, healthy cells needed in the damaged spinal cord in order for the body's nervous system to operate correctly.

The science behind this has been in the works for several years and researchers have made great strides both in what they know about stem cell replication and in how to modify adult stem cells and thereby avoid controversy regarding the usage of embryonic cells. Therefore, I would recommend that you discuss with the clinical researchers being part of their trial.

Not only will you have the potential of overcoming the damage you yourself have suffered as a result of your injury -- you will also be helping science to advance its knowledge of how stem cells can help human beings. However, if you still feel uncomfortable about this issue because of worries about side effects, I would recommend the study by Herberts et al. (2011), which describes some of the risks associated with stem cell treatments of spinal cord injuries.

Some of these risks "include tumour formation, unwanted immune responses and the transmission of adventitious agents" (Herberts et al., 2011, p. 29). Obviously, these are factors that you will want to consider before agreeing to be part of any clinical trial. I would recommend discussing with.