STEM CELLS

OFFER CURE TO PARALYSIS

WHAT IS STEM CELL?

 CLASS OF UNDIFFERENTIATED CELLS

THAT ARE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE
INTO SPECIALIZED CELL TYPES.

WHERE ARE STEM CELLS

FOUND?

 EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

- FROM EMBRYOS IN THE EARLY STAGES
OF DEVELOPMENT
- WITH ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE INTO
ANY TYPE OF CELL

 FETAL STEM CELLS

- FROM A FETUS
- FOUND IN FETAL TISSUES, BLOOD
AND BONE MARROW
- HAVE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP INTO
ALMOST ANY TYPE OF CELL.

UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD STEM

CELLS
- FROM UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD
- SPECIALIZED CELLS THAT DEVELOP INTO
SPECIFIC TYPES OF CELLS.

 PLACENTAL STEM CELLS

- CONTAINED WITHIN THE PLACENTA
- SPECIALIZED CELLS THAT DEVELOP
INTO SPECIFIC TYPES OF CELLS

SCIENTISTS HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT

THEY HAVE USED STEM CELL INJECTIONS
TO RESTORE FEELING TO PEOPLE
PARALYZED IN ACCIDENTS.
THE BREAKTHROUGH RAISES THE
POSSIBILITY THAT SPINAL INJURY VICTIMS
COULD WALK AGAIN.
A DOZEN PATIENTS PARALYZED FROM THE
WAIST DOWN PARTLY REGAINED
SENSATION IN THEIR LEGS, THE
SCIENTISTS REPORTED.

THEY TOOK STEM CELLS FROM THE

PATIENTS' BLOOD AND INJECTED THEM
INTO AN ARTERY SUPPLYING THE
DAMAGED PART OF THE SPINE.
WITHIN TWO MONTHS, THE VOLUNTEERS
REPORTED HAVING FEELINGS IN THEIR
LEGS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR
ACCIDENTS.
STEM CELLS ARE 'MOTHER CELLS' THAT
CAN TRANSFORM TISSUE. IT IS THOUGHT
THEY EITHER REPAIRED THE VICTIMS'
SPINAL CORDS OR ENCOURAGED THE
CORDS TO HEAL THEMSELVES.

IN BRITAIN, 400,000 PEOPLE HAVE SPINAL

CORD INJURIES THAT LEAVE THEM WITH
VARYING DEGREES OF DISABILITY.
MANY SUFFERED INJURIES IN RUGBY
GAMES OR IN FALLS FROM HORSES OR
MOTORCYCLES. THE WORST DAMAGE IS
USUALLY TO THE NECK.
DETAILS OF THE BREAKTHROUGH
EMERGED IN TODAY'S EDITION OF THE
MAGAZINE CHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRY.

EXPERTS SAID THE RESEARCH - AT THE SAO PAULO

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN BRAZIL WAS A MAJOR ADVANCE. 'IF IT IS TRUE, IT IS A
HUGE STEP, NO QUESTION,' SAID SAM PFAFF, OF
THE SALK INSTITUTE IN CALIFORNIA AND A
LEADER IN CELL BIOLOGY RESEARCH.
'NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN HUMANS
BEFORE. THERE ARE SOME UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT BLOOD STEM CELLS ARE
CAPABLE OF. BUT IF A PARALYSED PERSON
BENEFITS, WHO REALLY CARES HOW IT HAPPENS?'

THE BRAZILIAN TEAM REMOVED AND

REINTRODUCED BLOOD STEM CELLS OF 30
PATIENTS WHO HAD BEEN DISABLED FROM THE
WAIST DOWN FOR TWO OR MORE YEARS.
AFTER TREATMENT, RESEARCHERS PASSED AN
ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THEIR LEGS AND
MEASURED THE RESPONSE IN THEIR BRAINS.
TWELVE OF THE 30 PATIENTS SHOWED
REACTIONS AND ALSO REPORTED EXPERIENCING
FEELING IN THEIR LEGS. SOME FELT TINGLING
SENSATIONS. OTHERS DESCRIBED MILD PAIN.

PROFESSOR TARCISCIO BARROS, WHO LED THE

RESEARCH, SAID: 'TWO TO SIX MONTHS AFTER
TREATMENT, WE FOUND THAT SOME PATIENTS
WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF RESPONDING TO
TESTS.
'WE STILL HOPE WE MAY YET SEE
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OTHER PATIENTS TOO
BUT ALREADY THIS IS A REAL BREAKTHROUGH.'
HE BELIEVES THE TREATMENT COULD ALSO
HELP PEOPLE PARALYSED FROM THE NECK
DOWN. THEY WOULD SIMPLY HAVE THE STEM
CELL INJECTION IN A DIFFERENT ARTERY.

THANK YOU VERY

MUCH!
LETS EAT!!!!