Defining Stem Cell Research
- 1). Find stem cells. In the United States there are more than 20 licensed stem cell distributors. The National Stem Cell bank provides stem cells to many researchers.
- 2). Isolate the stem cells. Cells are cultured to grow into tiny masses or colonies, each meant for a different purpose.
- 3). Match the cell to the patient. The cells must be engineered to match the immunological aspects of the patient.
- 4
Bone marrow cells dividing.
Program the stem cell through differentiation. Because stem cells are a blank slate, when injected into an area of the body they take on the characteristics of that tissue through normal growth hormones. For example, bone marrow transplants work by injecting healthy bone marrow cells into the blood of a leukemia patient, encouraging growth of new healthy cells.
