Pros and Cons of Using Various Stem Cells
- Abundant somatic cells of donor can be used
- Issues of histocompatibility with donor/recipient transplants can be avoided
- Very useful for drug development and developmental studies
Adult Stem Cells | Embryonic Stem Cells | Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells | |
| Pros | Trans differentiate and and reprogramming of these cells is possiblebut is not well studied. Thought to be less likely to be rejected if used in transplants. Success has already been demonstrated in various clinical applications. | Can maintain and grow for 1 year or more in culture. Established protocols for maintenance in culture. ESCs are pluripotent cells that can generate most cell types. By studying ESCs, more can be learned about the process of development. | Abundant somatic cells of donor can be used Issues of histocompatibility with donor/recipient transplants can be avoided. Very useful for drug development and developmental studies. Information learned from the “reprogramming” process may be transferable for in vivo therapies to reprogram damaged or diseased cells/tissues. |
| Cons | Limitations on ASC ability to differentiate are still uncertain; currently thought to be multi or unipotent. Cannot be grown for long periods of time in culture Usually a very small number in each tissue making them difficult to find and purify Currently there is no technology available to generate large quantities of stem cells in culture | Process to generate ESC lines is inefficient Unsure whether they would be rejected if used in transplants. Therapies using ESC avenues are largely new and much more research and testing is needed If used directly from the ESC undifferentiated culture prep for tissue transplants, they can cause tumors (teratomas) or cancer development | Methods for ensured reproducibility and maintenance, as differentiated tissues are not certain. Viruses are currently used to introduce embryonic genes and has been shown to cause cancers in mouse studies |
Ethical Concerns | No major ethical concerns have been raised | To acquire the inner cell mass the embryo is destroyed Risk to female donors being consented | iPS cells have the potential to become embryos if exposed to the right conditions |
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