Can Stem Cells Cause Harm in the Fight Against Disease?

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SUMMARY

Stem cell transplants can provide significant benefits in cancer treatment, but they also pose risks of adverse effects, as highlighted in a Science magazine article. The discussion emphasizes the importance of using a patient's own stem cells to mitigate the risk of rejection and complications. Techniques such as therapeutic cloning and reprogramming adult skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are being explored to generate genetically identical stem cells for therapeutic use. These methods remain experimental and require further research before clinical application.

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An article from Science magazine on the potential side-effects of stem cell cures:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/stem-cell-transplant-helped-beat-back-young-doctors-cancer-now-its-assaulting-his-body

A stem cell transplant helped beat back a young doctor's cancer. Now, it's assaulting his body

This is something I've not considered. Stem cell research is the next big thing but it seems we'll need to limit it to our own stem cells in order to avoid a battle for supremacy between the body and the newer stem cells.
 
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Luckily, there are means to generate genetically identical stem cells from a patient's body for potential therapeutic purposes – using therapeutic cloning to generate embryonic stem cells or reprograming adult skin cells into https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/Regenerative_Medicine/2006Chapter10.htm. Of course, these are still experimental technologies that still require much work before they can be applied in the clinic but that research is ongoing.
 
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