In 2008, Professor Shinya Yamanaka won the Nobel Prize for discovering four biological factors that could be used to turn any somatic (fully differentiated) cell into a pluripotent stem cell. Another drawback is that the derivation of ESCs requires the use of cells from the embryo, thus raising moral and ethical dilemmas. A consequence of not yet understanding the full molecular picture is that ESC-derived cells can sometimes revert back into pluripotent cells and form tumours. However, scientists are still working to piece together the correct biological codes that can fully differentiate an ESC into the desired cell type. This means that ESCs could be used to treat a vast number of disorders. ESCs have unique potential for repairing damaged tissue because of their versatile differentiation capacity. ESCs have been studied extensively in order to understand the molecular pathways that regulate their “stem cell-ness”, along with those pathways that guide differentiation to more specialized cell types (for example, how does one ESC become a neuron and another a skin cell?). These cells are known as pluripotent, meaning they have the potential to differentiate into all the cell types found in the human body. Below, we will discuss some of the most important stem cell types relevant to the treatment of CP, as well as their pros and cons for use in research and the clinic.Įmbryonic stem cells (ESCs) are found in the developing embryo. After generating a large pool of stem cells, they can be directed to transform into more specialized cell types, assuming the scientist knows the correct factors that will lead to the desired change. The ability of stem cells to create copies of themselves over long periods means that their supply is theoretically limitless under optimal conditions, a stem cell can be grown in a culture dish and end up forming colonies of stem cells. The two characteristics of long-term cell division and differentiation capacity have some very important implications for regenerative therapeutic strategies. This means they can transform into specialized cell types of the body such as heart, lung, or brain cells. Second, they can differentiate into more specified functional cell types. First, they have the ability to divide and make copies of themselves over extended periods of time. There are two characteristics that make stem cells unique from other cells in the body. Without functional CST connections, motor deficits ensue. Importantly, the corticospinal tract (CST), which connects the motor regions of the brain to the spinal cord and helps control movement, is often damaged. Neurons and oligodendrocytes die and/or fail to mature, and the white matter tracts that connect various brain regions become damaged. When an insult occurs to the brain during the sensitive perinatal period, the resident brain cells are unable to promote proper growth and development of the brain. While the cause of CP is multifactorial, the injury consistently leads to various neuro-motor deficits, often accompanied by other symptoms, such as visual and cognitive impairments. CP can be caused by a multitude of factors, including premature birth, infection in the uterus, lack of nutritional support during development, lack of oxygen at the time of birth, and genetic aberrations. Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term used to describe a disorder that results from perinatal brain injury.
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