topic 8 xoxo

• benefits of using stem cells

  • organs developed from a paitent's own stem cells reduces risk of organ rejection.
  • great potential to treat a wide-range of diseases
  • produce healthy cells
• risks of using stem cells

  • stem cells cultured in a lab can be infected with a virus which could be transmitted to a paitent
  • low numbers of stem cell donors
  • stem cells could accumlate mutations which could lead to the development of cancer cells in the paitent
• define epigenetics

  heritable changes in gene function without changes in DNA base sequence