The Use of Stem Cells (OCR A Level Biology): Revision Note

Stem cells in research & medicine

• Due to their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, stem cells have huge potential in the therapeutic treatment of disease

• Stem cells in the treatment of disease could be used to:

  • repair tissue that has been damaged

  • treat neurological conditions

  • research developmental biology

• Factors to consider when evaluating the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine include:

  • ethical concerns around the use of embryonic stem cells which have the potential to develop into an adult human

  • any adult stem cells used in medical treatment could cause an immune response unless they are a close tissue match

  • stem cells have the ability to divide indefinitely; if this division becomes uncontrolled then it can lead to cancers

Tissue repair

• Tissue damage can occur due to:

  • accidental damage

  • degenerative disease

  • autoimmune condition

• Stem cells could be encouraged to differentiate into a damaged cell type and used to repair damaged tissue, e.g.

  • skin cells to treat burn patients

  • neurones to repair a damaged spinal cord

  • pancreas cells to treat type 1 diabetes

  • retina cells for the treatment of macular degeneration in the eye

Treating neurological conditions

• Brain cells and neurones can be affected by some diseases, affecting the body's ability to coordinate responses to stimuli

• Stem cells could be used to generate new neurones in order to treat the symptoms of these conditions, e.g.

  • replacing damaged brain cells in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

Developmental biology

• Embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into embryos, allowing scientists to study the developmental stages of the early embryo

• Research on developmental biology can provide important information about:

  • developmental problems

  • the effects of medicines on embryos