So what are stem cells?

CEBU, Philippines - Stem cells are immature cells that still have to decide what kind of cell they would be – whether muscle cell, blood cell, brain cell, or virtually any cell that our body is in need of for repair and development.

These cells are of two broad types: embryonic and adult.

Embryonic stem cells are difficult to come by, mostly because of ethical issues. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, can be sourced from the bone marrow, as the case with the stem cells used by Flawless; from fat cells, which is extracted through liposuction; or from blood through a process called pheresis, where blood is extracted from the body and after removing the stem cell, is returned to the body.

There are also other ways of getting stem cells. Cord blood stem cell has some of the characteristics of embryonic stem cell, but since it is taken from the blood of the umbilical cord of a newborn, technically it’s not considered embryonic, and so are stem cells from amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is the fluid that comes out of a pregnant woman when giving birth. It is actually a protective liquid contained in the sac that covers the baby while inside the mother’s body.

Cure all?

The promise of stem cell therapy is revolutionary, the reason why many researchers are devoting a lot of time and effort in its development.

Other potential health problems that could be addressed with stem cell therapy are stroke, traumatic brain injury, learning deficiency, Alzhiemer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, diabetes, cancer, blindness, and deafness among others.

In the treatment of leukemia, the rationale behind bone marrow transplant is for stem cells produced in the transplanted bone marrow to replenish the needed blood which the damaged bone marrow failed to produce. So far, it’s only this kind of stem cell therapy that’s been proven to be effective through scientific research.

Perhaps, stem cells can be the youth elixir that for centuries, man had been searching for. But the lack of definitive findings on its potential continues to pose questions on its safety and effectivity. Still, the claims of people who have undergone several of these procedures cannot be ignored, and if you have the money to spend, it surely would be worth the try.

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The author is a licensed physical therapist. Email him at rtsalgado@the freeman.ph or follow him on Twitter at @tribong_upos. He blogs at http://tribong-upos.xanga.com. (FREEMAN)