Stem Cells in Medicine

• Which type of stem cell can only differentiate into different types of blood cells?

  Adult stem cells
• What is the problem in type 1 diabetes?

  The pancreas is damaged and no longer produces insulin
• When nerve cells are damaged, messages can no longer be sent to the muscles properly. This can lead to the loss of the ability to move some or all of your body.

  What do we call this condition?

  Paralysis 
• 1. Extract embryonic stem cells from early embryos.
  2. Grow them in a laboratory.
  3. Stimulate them to differentiate into whichever type of specialised cell that we want.
  4. Give them to the patient to replace their faulty cells.
• Give two drawbacks of using embryonic stems cells in stem cell therapy?

  Stem cells have a limited supply

  The risk of rejection

  Ethical issues associated with stem cells 
• what are some advantages of using adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells?

  Adult stem cells are taken from the patient so are not in limited supply

  Adult stem cells won't cause rejection as they're taken from the patient themselves
• Two risks of using stem cells in medicine?

  1. The stem cells could be infected with a virus whilst in the laboratory, which could then infect the patient.
  2. As stem cells divide quickly, there is a chance they could divide uncontrollably once they've been transplanted, and then develop into a tumour.