Is Stem Cell a Curer or an Obstruction?

Abstract

Introduction: Each cell in human body is assigned with a specialized function to perform.  Before a cell becomes specialized, it is a stem cell. Stem cell research and therapy is progressing dramatically these days. Stem cell therapy holds enormous treatment potential for many diseases which currently have no or limited therapeutic options. Unfortunately, this potential also comes with side-effects. In this review, the positive and negative effects of regulation of stem cells will be explained.Content: Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. The type of stem cells are embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, somatic stem cells, foetal stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Stem cell transplantation is one form of stem cell therapy, it comes with different sources, and those are autologous and allogenic transplantation stem cells. In an autologous transplant, a patient’s own blood-forming stem cells are collected, meanwhile in an allogeneic transplant, a person’s stem cells are replaced with new stem cells obtained from a donor or from donated umbilical cord blood.Summary: Its abilities to maintain undifferentiated phenotype, self-renewing and differentiate itself into specialized cells, give rise to stem cell as a new innovation for the treatment of various diseases. In the clinical setting, stem cells are being explored in various conditions, such as in tissue repair and regeneration and autoimmune diseases therapy. But along with its benefit, stem cell therapy also holds some harm. It is known that the treatment using stem cell for curing and rehabilitation has the risk in tumor formation.