Stem Cells In Medicine Flashcards
All 8 cards in this deck
How could stem cells be used to treat type 1 diabetes?
They could be made to differentiate into insulin-producing cells to replace the faulty cells in the pancreas.
How could stem cells be used to treat paralysis?
They could differentiate into nerve cells to replace damaged cells in the spinal cord, restoring movement.
Why is it a benefit to use stem cells taken from the patient's own body?
They match the patient's tissue type, so there is less chance of rejection and immunosuppressant drugs may not be needed.
Give three risks of treating a patient with stem cells.
Rejection of donor cells by the immune system; infection passed on during the procedure; the cells may divide uncontrollably and form a tumour.
Give one reason why some people object to the use of human embryonic stem cells.
The embryo is destroyed, and it has the potential to develop into a person.
True or false? All stem cells used in medicine have to be taken from embryos.
False. Adult stem cells (e.g. from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood) can also be used, and adult cells can be reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells.
What are the steps to evaluate data about a stem cell treatment and give a judgement?
e.g. 6 out of 10 paralysed patients regained some movement in a trial- State what the data shows: most patients (6 of 10) improved.
- Weigh the risks and limitations: 4 showed no benefit, small sample, possible tumours or rejection.
- Give a judgement supported by the data: e.g. promising, but larger trials are needed before wide use.
True or false? A patient treated with stem cells from a donor may need to take immunosuppressant drugs.
True. The donor cells may not match the patient's tissue type, so the immune system could reject them.