NOTES – NOTES – Embryonic Embryonic Stem Cells Stem Cells

and and CloningCloning

What are stem cells?What are stem cells?

Embryonic Stem CellsEmbryonic Stem Cells – – cells cells present in the early stages of an present in the early stages of an embryo’s development that have the embryo’s development that have the ability to change in any type of body ability to change in any type of body cell cell

What are the goals of stem cell What are the goals of stem cell research?research?

Stem cell research is about Stem cell research is about repairing repairing and/or replacing damaged body tissues and/or replacing damaged body tissues in order to reverse some effects of in order to reverse some effects of aging, disease, and injuryaging, disease, and injury

In the lab, scientists have seen In the lab, scientists have seen embryonic stem cells embryonic stem cells change into the change into the cells of virtually every part of the cells of virtually every part of the human bodyhuman body

Scientists want the ability to control the Scientists want the ability to control the development of these cells so they can development of these cells so they can make the types of tissue they need, like make the types of tissue they need, like brain, heart, nerve, or musclebrain, heart, nerve, or muscle

Stem Cells in the LabStem Cells in the Lab

The Potential of Stem CellsThe Potential of Stem Cells Stem cells can be used to generate cells and tissues Stem cells can be used to generate cells and tissues

that could be used for that could be used for cell-based therapiescell-based therapies

Cell-based therapies Cell-based therapies —Treatment in which stem —Treatment in which stem cells are changed into the specific cell type required cells are changed into the specific cell type required to repair damaged or destroyed cells or tissuesto repair damaged or destroyed cells or tissues

Donated organs and tissues are often used to Donated organs and tissues are often used to replace damaged or destroyed tissue, but the need replace damaged or destroyed tissue, but the need for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs the available supplythe available supply

Stem cells changed into specific cell types, offer the Stem cells changed into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat many diseases cells and tissues to treat many diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis)osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis)

The Potential The Potential of Stem Cellsof Stem Cells

It may become possible It may become possible to generate healthy to generate healthy heart muscle cells in heart muscle cells in the laboratory and then the laboratory and then transplant those cells transplant those cells into patients with into patients with chronic heart disease. chronic heart disease.

Research in mice and Research in mice and other animals indicates other animals indicates that stem cells that stem cells transplanted into a transplanted into a damaged heart can damaged heart can generate heart muscle generate heart muscle cells and successfully cells and successfully repopulate the heart repopulate the heart tissuetissue

MouseMouse

The Potential The Potential of Stem Cellsof Stem Cells

In people who suffer In people who suffer from type I diabetes, from type I diabetes, the cells of the the cells of the pancreas that normally pancreas that normally produce insulin are produce insulin are destroyed by the destroyed by the patient's own immune patient's own immune system system

New studies indicate New studies indicate that it may be possible that it may be possible to change human to change human embryonic stem cells to embryonic stem cells to insulin-producing cells insulin-producing cells that eventually could be that eventually could be used in transplantation used in transplantation therapy for diabeticstherapy for diabetics

Where do embryonic stem cells come Where do embryonic stem cells come from?from? Embryonic stem cells must be taken Embryonic stem cells must be taken

from the from the earliest stage of the embryo, earliest stage of the embryo, called the called the blastocystblastocyst

5 to 7 days after fertilization, 5 to 7 days after fertilization, the the blastocyst is ball of about 100 stem cellsblastocyst is ball of about 100 stem cells

There are two ways to produce There are two ways to produce blastocysts from which stem cells can be blastocysts from which stem cells can be taken: taken: fertilization of egg with sperm or fertilization of egg with sperm or cloningcloning

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

Where do embryonic stem cells Where do embryonic stem cells come from?come from?

BlastocystBlastocyst

What is What is cloning?cloning?

What is cloning?What is cloning? CloningCloning – – making a genetic copy of making a genetic copy of

an existing organisman existing organism There are 2 types of cloning:There are 2 types of cloning:

Reproductive CloningReproductive Cloning – – cloning in order cloning in order to produce a genetic copy of an existing to produce a genetic copy of an existing organismorganism

Therapeutic CloningTherapeutic Cloning – – cloning in order cloning in order to produce a blastocyst from which stem to produce a blastocyst from which stem cells can be taken and used to develop cells can be taken and used to develop therapies for injury and diseasetherapies for injury and disease

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

How does reproductive cloning How does reproductive cloning work?work?

Reproductive CloningReproductive Cloning

How does therapeutic cloning How does therapeutic cloning work?work?

Therapeutic cloning begins the same Therapeutic cloning begins the same way as reproductive cloningway as reproductive cloning

Instead of implanting the blastocyst Instead of implanting the blastocyst into a surrogate mother, into a surrogate mother, the stem the stem cells are taken out of the blastocyst cells are taken out of the blastocyst and used to develop whatever type and used to develop whatever type of cells are neededof cells are needed

Cloned Embryo Stem CellsCloned Embryo Stem Cells

What’s all the fuss about?What’s all the fuss about?

When embryonic stem cells are removed When embryonic stem cells are removed from the blastocyst, from the blastocyst, the embryo is destroyedthe embryo is destroyed

Is this the same as abortion? What rights Is this the same as abortion? What rights does the blastocyst deserve?does the blastocyst deserve?

In 2001, President George Bush placed a ban In 2001, President George Bush placed a ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell on federal funding for embryonic stem cell researchresearch

Researchers Cheer Obama's Researchers Cheer Obama's Vote for Stem-Cell ScienceVote for Stem-Cell Science

President Barack Obama signs an Executive President Barack Obama signs an Executive Order reversing the government's ban on Order reversing the government's ban on funding stem-cell research, during a ceremony funding stem-cell research, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on March in the East Room of the White House on March 9, 20099, 2009