Fetal tissue transplants have the potential to treat many debilitating diseases
ID: 176922 • Letter: F
Question
Fetal tissue transplants have the potential to treat many debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Parkinson’s and Spinal Cord Injuries. Why are these fetal cells useful? Some scientists are looking at adult stem cells and are against destroying fetal cells while others are researching on using cells from surgically aborted fetuses and a few others are recommending using fetal cells from miscarriages to be used in fetal transplant research. How are these different and explain your position on this controversial issue.
Explanation / Answer
The presence of more primordial stem cells in the fetal tissue allows them to proliferate at a faster rate than that of the matured cells. They undergo changes according to the environment around them, means can be able to accommodate in the body of the patient receiving the transplant. They can migrate and establish connections with the surrounding environment. The fetal tissues can also survive under the conditions of low oxygen availability, so that they can survive under ischemic conditions that commonly occur during the transplantations.
This fetal transplantation is useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other diseases that involve neuronal degeneration or organ or tissue loss. However, as the source of fetal tissue is aborted foetuses, ethical issues are concerning the medical application of fetal tissues.
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