How Do Stem Cells Work?
Stem cells are the building blocks of human life. As your baby matured from an embryo to a fetus, stem cells gave rise to every functioning cell in their body. These embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent because they can make any of the 220 types of cells in the human body when they divide.
The stem cells found inside of your child’s cord blood are adult stem cells, capable of generating the cell varieties specific to the types of organs in which they are found.
Cord blood stem cells are found in the placenta and umbilical cord and are the source of platelets and oxygen carrying red blood cells which give rise to our body’s natural defense system, also known as the immune system. These stem cells are classified as hematopoietic stem cells and are capable of generating the cells specific to the blood and immune system.
Science has established that stem cells give rise to specialized cells through a process called differentiation, but researchers are just beginning to understand how this complex process works. Current research is focused on the internal and external signals that act as catalysts to trigger these undifferentiated stem cells to differentiate into specialized cells with specific structures and functions.
Every cell in the human body carries a set of blueprints called DNA. The internal signals that trigger differentiation in stem cells are controlled by the coded instructions found in these blueprints. These coded instructions for the cell’s function and structure are carried by pieces of our DNA called genes. The external signals that trigger differentiation include molecules found in the cell’s proximal environment and the chemicals that are secreted by neighboring cells.
Adult stem cells are used in routine medical procedures because of this ability to differentiate into other cells. For example, if a person’s immune system is compromised due to aggressive cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, cord blood stem cells can be used to rebuild this person’s immune system.
Remaining questions about the process of differentiation may help scientists control the type of cells grown from stem cells. Understanding this process could lead to cell-based therapies that are able to regenerate specific cells, like the cells of a damaged spinal cord or cells that can produce insulin in a person diagnosed with diabetes. Future stem cell treatments may be key in the treatment of many life-threatening and debilitating diseases.
