What is Stem Cell?
I happened to learn about Stem Cells last week and wanted to share this short note!
Cancer researchers started treating cancerous cells with radiation. While they found that this kills the cancerous cells, along with it, the radiation also kills several types of blood cells. We call this chemotherapy
After the treatment was done researchers started introducing fresh bone marrow and found this marrow was able to create all sorts of new blood cells not just marrow cells and this led to the thought that the marrow has some cells that was capable of producing all kinds of blood cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells, etc.
The researchers spent decades sorting the cells. They started pouring mouse blood through a long series of high-tech strainers. With each pass, a different kind of cell was removed. Finally, they isolated the cell that gave birth to all of the other cells.
The cells that they were left with at the end of cycle were called Stem Cells.
Now you know why Stem Cells are such a big deal and so much money is getting poured into stem cell research. Stem Cells are capable of generating cells that we cannot and this opens up the possibility of several health solutions.
It can be the most potent regenerative medicine ever.