It's About Hope
Stem cell therapy holds great promise for new treatments and possibly cures for diseases such as emphysema. In diseases such as emphysema, where there is damage and destruction of organs, the underlying problem has been believed to be irreversible. As a result, medical therapy for diseases such as emphysema, where lung tissue is destroyed, has focused on improving symptoms. These therapies have much to offer, but, short of transplantation, restoring lost function has been impossible. It is now clear that the lung, like most organs, has considerable capacity to repair.
Stem cells are the cells that give rise to all the tissues in the body. They are the cells that eventually form lung tissue during normal development. Some stem cells persist into adulthood and could be the cells that repair lung tissue in rodents. Since stem cells of various types can be transplanted, it is possible that stem cell transplants could restore the ability of organs to repair and regain lost function.
This research requires the use of human stem cells, since there are differences among species. Since embryonic stem cells are the only cells that are known to capable of forming all the tissues of the body, the use of these cells for this line of experimentation is extremely important.
This line of research offer hope where very little exists at present. Diseases with tissue destruction such as emphysema may not be “irreversible.”
By Dr. Steve Rennard, M.D |
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