Amniotic epithelial cells
- Amniotic epithelial cells
Some stem cells extracted from the placenta are called amniotic epithelial cells. These cells may become useful in fighting diseases and disorders of the nervous system while avoiding the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells.
In harvesting embryonic stem cells, a human embryo is destroyed. Many pro-life individuals associate this act with abortion and consider it immoral. As the placenta is commonly discarded after birth, the ability to harvest stem cells from these non-controversial sources may come to represent a major innovation in stem cell research.
Amniotic stem cells, unlike embryonic stem cells, have failed to show a propensity for developing into teratomas and other cancer-like tumors upon injection into living tissue. Another potential benefit of using amniotic stem cells over those obtained from embryos is that they side-step ethical concerns among pro-life activists by obtaining pluripotent lines of undifferentiated cells without harm to a fetus or destruction of an embryo.
Artificial heart valves, working tracheas, as well as muscle, fat, bone, heart, neural and liver cells have all been engineered through use of amniotic stem cells. Tissues obtained from amniotic cell lines show enormous promise for patients suffering from congenital diseases/malformations of the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and cerebral tissue. Cell lines obtained from parents for specific use in their own children would avoid immune system rejection as cell types would already be fully compatible (as opposed to using embryonic stem cells which can potentially threaten to immuno-compromise their receipients).
References
* [http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05217/549236.stm News article]
* [http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00344708 US Government info about a related clinical trial]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
CD59 — molecule, complement regulatory protein PDB rendering based on 1cdq … Wikipedia
Stem cell — Mouse embryonic st … Wikipedia
human embryology — ▪ biology Introduction the process encompassing the period from the formation of an embryo, through the development of a fetus, to birth. The human body, like that of most animals, develops from a single cell produced by the union of… … Universalium
Oral mucosa tissue engineering — Tissue engineering of oral mucosa combines cells, materials and engineering to produce a three dimensional reconstruction of oral mucosa. It is meant to simulate the real anatomical structure and function of oral mucosa. Tissue engineered oral… … Wikipedia
test — 1. To prove; to try a substance; to determine the chemical nature of a substance by means of reagents. 2. A method of examination, as to determine the presence or absence of a definite disease or of some substance in any of the fluids, tissues,… … Medical dictionary
syndrome — The aggregate of symptoms and signs associated with any morbid process, and constituting together the picture of the disease. SEE ALSO: disease. [G. s., a running together, tumultuous concourse; (in med.) a concurrence of symptoms, fr. syn,… … Medical dictionary
respiration, human — ▪ physiology Introduction the process by which oxygen is taken up and carbon dioxide discharged. The design of the respiratory system The human gas exchanging organ, the lung, is located in the thorax, where its delicate tissues are… … Universalium
Индуцированные стволовые клетки — Индуцированные стволовые клетки cтволовые клетки, полученные из каких либо иных (cоматических, репродуктивных или плюрипотентных) клеток путем эпигенетического перепрограммирования. В зависимости от степени дедифференцировки клетки при… … Википедия
Choline — The N,N,N trimethylethanolammonium cation, with an undefined counteranion, X− Choline is a water soluble essential nutrient.[1][ … Wikipedia
Decidua — Diagrammatic sections of the uterine mucous membrane: A. The non pregnant uterus. B. Decidua parietalis; the mucus membrane in the pregnant uterus and not beneath the placenta … Wikipedia
