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Stem cells

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Stem cells Stem cells are generic cells that develop into particular types of cells. So they may become nerve cells, muscle cells, blood cells – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Stem cells


1
Stem cells
Stem cells are generic cells that develop into
particular types of cells.
So they may become nerve cells, muscle cells,
blood cells in fact, any cell in the
body! Stem cells divide over and over to
produce new cells.
2
Stem cells, bone marrow and blood cells
One of the main places you find stem cells is in
bone marrow. Stem cells in bone marrow produce
new blood cells to replace those that have
died. When the cells are mature they are
released into the bloodstream. A bone marrow
donation is really a donation of stem cells.
Bone marrow is found in the cavities inside the
long and flat bones of the body.
3
Leukaemia
  • Leukaemia is a form of cancer.
  • In the most common forms of leukaemia, one
    abnormal white blood cell continuously replicates
    (clones) itself.
  • These abnormal white blood cells do not function
    properly
  • They do not fight infections
  • They inhibit the production of other blood cells
    and platelets
  • For some people, a bone marrow transplant can
  • be a life-saver.

4
Transplants save lives
  • Bone marrow transplants not only save the lives
    of leukaemia patients.
  • They can also save the lives of those suffering
    from
  • illnesses where the immune system does not
    function properly such as aplastic anaemia
    (where the bone marrow stops making enough blood
    cells)
  • rare genetic diseases such as osteopetrosis
    (where bones harden and become dense and bone
    marrow does not develop properly)
  • all kinds of cancers(where healthy stem cells
    have been damaged during treatments to destroy
    cancer cells)

5
Stem cell (bone marrow) donation
  • There are three ways to collect stem cells from a
    donor
  • Bone marrow A donor has a small operation under
    general anesthetic.
  • Circulating bloodA donors circulating stem
    cells are boosted with a special drug. Then they
    are connected to a cell separator machine, which
    collects the stem cells and returns the rest of
    the blood to the donor.
  • Cord bloodSelected hospitals offer new mothers
    the chance to donate the blood that remains in
    the placenta and umbilical cord after their
    babys birth.

6
Advantages / disadvantages for patients
  • Advantages
  • Cord blood
  • hasnt been exposed to environment so less likely
    to contain viral infection
  • requires less stringent matching
  • once collected is banked and can be readily
    available at short notice.
  • Bone marrow and circulating blood
  • tend to have a greater number of stem cells in
    the donation, so tend to be accepted into the
    patients body more quickly.
  • Disadvantages
  • Cord blood
  • tends to have less stem cells in the donation.
  • Bone marrow and circulating blood
  • finding a match and arranging a donation can take
    weeks, or months (this is time the patient may
    not have).

7
Finding a match
  • A bone marrow donor needs to be a close tissue
    type match with the recipient
  • You can tell what someones tissue type by
    testing their blood
  • Tissue type is inherited but only 30 of donors
    are found from within a patients family
  • Patients are most likely to find a match from
    within their own ethnic community
  • So donors from all ethnic backgrounds are needed
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