One of the most controversial issues in the field of science and medicine is the issue of stem cells and their promising use in curing serious illnesses and life-threatening diseases. I first heard about this a few years ago and it got me researching about what stem cells are and what it is about them that makes them so promising and controversial at the same time. I consulted my biologist husband and he was very helpful.
Stem cells are found in almost all multi-cellular organisms. What makes them promising is their ability to renew themselves into different cell types. The key word is ‘renew’. My mind automatically shouted amazing! Imagine having a disease and having the capability to ‘renew’ cells in that part of your body where you have the disease, or something like that. Since they have the capability to renew into almost any type of cell, that pretty much covers every cell in your body. So if you are able to get you own stem cell, they can actually be grown into whatever cell type – your own cell type. It’s like being able to get a part or a stem of a plant and growing it into another plant. The problem is directing it into renewing into a specific cell that you want and I think most stem cell research revolve around this dilemma.
Right now, some stem cell therapies are already available. They use it for bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia. Stem cell therapies are also promising in treating cancer, spinal cord injuries, muscle injuries, and Parkinson’s disease. The issue revolves around its delicate connection to cloning.
The idea of cord blood banking lies in the promise of stem cell research. New research has also showed that stem cells can also be harvested from a woman’s menstrual blood. Every woman can now preserve her own stem cells from her menstrual blood! A mentrual stem cell service called C’elle provides women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving her menstrual stem cells. They have a C’elle kit that has easy-to-follow instructions and all other things needed for non-invasive collection and transport of the specimen. The specimen will be sent to their laboratory for processing, isolation, and cryo-preservation. Right now, there are no approved therapies using stem cells except for diseases involving the blood and immune systems. However, with the quick advancement of research in this field, it might not be long before they can be used for other diseases. Read on C’elle Client Testimonial if you are interested in getting yourself a kit.