There have been increasing political, social, medical, and religious debates about the science, benefits, and future of stem cell research in recent times. While many from the medical community support the U.S. government’s decision to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, others advise caution and raise ethical questions about this research. Whatever side of the debate you are on, can help to understand the basics and the stem cell banking costs.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can change as they mature, differentiate indefinitely, and develop into many different types of cells and tissues. They are known to differentiate into more than 220 types of cells, including nerve cells, brain cells, bone cells, skin cells, heart muscle cells, blood cells, and pancreatic cells.

There are four types of stem cells:

Embryonic stem cells: These occur in the inner masses of three to five days old embryos. They are pluripotent. That means they can grow and differentiate rapidly.

Perinatal stem cells: These occur in the amniotic fluid, blood, and tissue of the umbilical cords of newborn babies.

Adult stem cells: These occur in human fat, tissues, and bone marrow. These stem cells are multipotent. As compared to embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are semi-specialized and can form only a limited number of cell types. That is why adult stem cells have less differentiation potential required for medical research. Another issue with harvesting adult stem cells is that they occur in minute quantities, are difficult to isolate and purify, and their numbers decrease as we grow older. There is also an increased risk of the body’s immune system rejecting the adult stem cells unless they are from the patient’s own body.

Induced pluripotent stem cells: These are adult stem cells that undergo induced alteration to act like embryonic stem cells.

What is the science behind stem cells?

The ability of stem cells to differentiate into other types of cells makes them are extremely valuable for medical treatment and research. It is also possible to store them for long periods using cryogenic preservation methods. The stem cell banking costs are reasonable for the health security they offer by way of regenerative medicine and tissue replacement treatments.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is a non-surgical, minimally invasive, and relatively painless medical procedure that is used to treat various diseases and health conditions. At present, adult stem cells are used in this therapy. The research is ongoing regarding the use of the other types of stem cells.

The therapy procedure involves extracting adult stem cells from the body of the patient or a compatible donor. The stem cells undergo processing in a centrifuge machine to become more concentrated. Researchers use different ways to concentrate the stem cells to make them capable of specialized functions. They then inject the concentrated stem cells into the body and trigger the healing response and help the body repair itself.

What are the benefits of stem cells?

Stem cells offer the following medical benefits:

They help the body regenerate damaged tissue and organs.

They reduce inflammation and offer pain relief.

They can improve the functionality and movement of joints, strengthen muscles, and improve body flexibility.

Stem cell therapy requires less time for recovery as compared to surgical recovery.

Since the treatment is relatively non-invasion, there is no physical or mental trauma for patients and fewer complications.

Stem cell therapy can treat cancer, arthritis, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, muscle damage, organ failure, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Stem cell therapy may help repair damaged tissues, ligaments, and nerves.

What are ethical concerns regarding stem cell research?

While stem cell banking costs can be affordable, people may hesitate to go that route due to ethical concerns related to human embryonic stem cell research. Human embryos have to be destroyed to extract the stem cells. Since each human embryo is a human life, destroying them in this manner is a devaluation of human life. Another concern with embryonic stem cell technology is the possibility of reproductive cloning. Less controversial is the extraction of stem cells from adult bone marrow or umbilical cord blood and tissue.