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Stem Cells: The BasicsBy: Diana Lu and Bhavna Guduguntla

+What Are Stem Cells?

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Have the potential to to

develop into different cells

in the body during early life

and growth

+When a stem cell divides, each cell has the

potential to remain a stem cell or specialize

into a more specific cell with cell function

(i.e. muscle cell, red blood cell, etc.)

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Sometimes serves as an internal repair system, dividing to the replenish other cells

+History of Stem Cells

+Embryonic Stem Cells

In 1981, scientists found

that embryonic stem cells

could be derived from

mouse embryos

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In 1998, researchers found a method to derive

stem cells from human embryos and then grow

them in the laboratory

Human embryonic stem cells

+ In 2006, researchers identified conditions that would allow for

specialized adult cells to be “reprogramed” into a stem cell-like

form

Called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)

Non-embryonic

+Stem Cell Extraction

+Stem Cell Extraction

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Potential Uses

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Offers potentials for treating

diseases such as diabetes, heart

disease, etc.

A lot more research is needed to

understand how to use these in

cell-based therapies

HOWEVER...

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+Recently...

Scientists have found that adding stem cells into the brains of

stroke victims improved their recovery

And...

Scientists have cured type 1 diabetes in mice by injecting them

with insulin-secreting cells derived from stem cells

If this were to work in humans, type 1 diabetes could be cured

+Bibliography

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Stem_cell_treatments.svg/2000px-Stem_cell_treatments.svg.png

http://www.bitlifesciences.com/rmsc2014/images/gd/gd_4.jpg

http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/stemcells2-GIF.gif

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01893/stem_1893626b.jpg

http://gajitz.com/hello-dolly-live-mice-stem-from-reprogrammed-skin-cells/

http://www.bioxys.com/i_openbio/mouse_embryonic_stem_cells.htm

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/stemcells/scissues/

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx