New hope.

The base of the letter is depends on Embryonic stem cells. The experiments are still restricted to laboratories. In the past few days there was a huge discussion about usage of embryonic stem cells to treat many untreatable disorders. Between those themes treating Parkinson's disease, Sub endocardial and transmural myocardial infarction were breathtaking. Let’s get introduced to the terminology which we are going to use this letter.

What are stem cells?

 Stem cells can be found in the multinuclear organisms. They can divide and transform in to vide variety of cell types. There are two major types of stem cells. 1) Embryonic stem cells, 2) Adult stem cells.

Adult stem cells also called as progenitor cells. Adult stem cells can be found in children and in adults.

The most important cell type in the embryonic cells is the Pluripotent adult stem cell. Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to transform in to vast number of body cell types.

Embryonic stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease. 

The experiment had been carried out in Kiyoto University Japan. First the researchers destroyed the dopamine producing neurons by injecting a chemical. This induced Parkinson’s disease in Monkeys. Then they injected human embryonic stem cells in to the brains of the monkeys. At the beginning of the disease the monkeys lost considerable amount of movements due to Parkinson’s disease. Six months later they checked the abilities of the monkeys. The results showed 25-45 percent of recovery of the movements. In the postmortem studies scientists saw considerable amount of human embryonic cells have transformed in to functioning dopamine producing neurons.  According to the researchers it will take around 6 years to carry the trials on human patients. The green light is a major victory in the field of medicine concerned with diseases like Parkinson’s. 

Adult progenitor stem cells to treat Myocardial infarction.

The clinical experiment is yet on experimental mice. Results have shown some positive signs which may improve the hope of stem cell transplant techniques. This experiment uses the adult progenitor stem cells.  Aim of the experimenters was to prevent acute and chronic heart failure conditions after a heart attack by regenerating the necrotized heart muscle fibers. Usually after a MI patient’s condition deteriorate very fast. So their lifespan is less comparing to patients with other cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists saw the ability of epicedial cell’s to become progenitor cells. These cells don’t have the regenerative power in normal conditions in adults. These cells remain dormant in the epicardium.  First they used a group of mice to the experiment. Then they damaged the myocardium of the mice. This is a situation similar to a myocardial infarction. The group of scientists wanted to regenerate the necrotized areas of the myocardium. They have chosen group of epicardial cell which can transform in to stem cells. How can they transform these cells to stem cells which are having regenerative abilities? Scientists found a protein which has the ability to transform these epicedial cells to stem cells. The protein is thymosin beta-4. After damaging the myocardium scientists injected this protein to the heart. They saw some regenerative processes. Use of the method as a definitive treatment is still controversial. The experiment group suggests the usage of such a medicine as a oral pill which can stimulate regenerative processes in a heart attack. If the cellular areas treated on time and promptly the positive results are more likely. 

Experimenters are working to overcome other effects and weak points of the therapy recently. This is new information. The results are important very much.

There is a big hope about stem cell therapies.