In vitro fertilization is a procedure that childless couples may use when they are having trouble conceiving the natural way. It is the next step after artificial insemination has failed to yield the desired result. The IVF procedure involves fertilization of the woman's eggs in a petri dish and then implanting the resulting embryos. Unused embryos are a byproduct of this process. There are a number of different ways of dealing with these and it is the responsibility of the parents to determine what happens to them.
Once the eggs are fertilized, spare embryos that are not implanted may be frozen and stored. With modern vitrification freezing techniques, these living embryos may remain viable for years. Parents may decide to store them for future use, donate them for pioneering stem cell research, donate them to other couples who are unable to create their own embryos, continue to store them year after year or they may choose to have them destroyed.
Stem cells are very primitive cells that have the potential to differentiate into just about any other cell type in the human body. This property is referred to as pluripotency. These cells are becoming more and more useful in medicine. There is a significant potential for abuse of these cells. For this reason, their use is very closely regulated by governmental authorities.
Researchers at the University of Utah pioneered the procedure whereby a patient's own stem cells are injected into their left ventricle in an attempt to treat heart failure. At this point, they are called cardiac repair cells. They are derived from the patient's bone marrow and then cultured for just under fortnight, after which they are implanted into the heart. It turns out these cells are much hardier than the original cells that were harvested from the bone marrow.
The first time stem cells were isolated from mice was in 1981; in humans, it was 1998. These cells may arise from spare human embryos that did not need to be implanted. Other places where stem cells come from include peripheral blood, umbilical cords and bone marrow. Other conditions apart from heart failure where stem cells have been used include diabetes, neurological problems and cancer.
Bone marrow is located deep inside the large bones of the body; specifically, the pelvic bone. Getting to these cells is a highly painful procedure so it is commonly accomplished with the use of a general anesthetic. Then, a large-bore needle is used to draw the cells via the hip bone.
Typically, peripheral blood is not endowed with a plethora of stem cells. In this case, patients are prepared by giving them hormones called growth factors. This takes place a few days prior to harvesting. The actual collection process may take hours. Newborn blood is also rich in these cells. Some remain in the umbilical cord, which is set aside for future transplantation. To date, human umbilical cord cells have only been transplanted into small adults and children.
Once the couples who have been storing embryos are sure they no longer want any more children, their spare embryos may be donated to other couples, to scientific research or they may be ultimately destroyed.
Once the eggs are fertilized, spare embryos that are not implanted may be frozen and stored. With modern vitrification freezing techniques, these living embryos may remain viable for years. Parents may decide to store them for future use, donate them for pioneering stem cell research, donate them to other couples who are unable to create their own embryos, continue to store them year after year or they may choose to have them destroyed.
Stem cells are very primitive cells that have the potential to differentiate into just about any other cell type in the human body. This property is referred to as pluripotency. These cells are becoming more and more useful in medicine. There is a significant potential for abuse of these cells. For this reason, their use is very closely regulated by governmental authorities.
Researchers at the University of Utah pioneered the procedure whereby a patient's own stem cells are injected into their left ventricle in an attempt to treat heart failure. At this point, they are called cardiac repair cells. They are derived from the patient's bone marrow and then cultured for just under fortnight, after which they are implanted into the heart. It turns out these cells are much hardier than the original cells that were harvested from the bone marrow.
The first time stem cells were isolated from mice was in 1981; in humans, it was 1998. These cells may arise from spare human embryos that did not need to be implanted. Other places where stem cells come from include peripheral blood, umbilical cords and bone marrow. Other conditions apart from heart failure where stem cells have been used include diabetes, neurological problems and cancer.
Bone marrow is located deep inside the large bones of the body; specifically, the pelvic bone. Getting to these cells is a highly painful procedure so it is commonly accomplished with the use of a general anesthetic. Then, a large-bore needle is used to draw the cells via the hip bone.
Typically, peripheral blood is not endowed with a plethora of stem cells. In this case, patients are prepared by giving them hormones called growth factors. This takes place a few days prior to harvesting. The actual collection process may take hours. Newborn blood is also rich in these cells. Some remain in the umbilical cord, which is set aside for future transplantation. To date, human umbilical cord cells have only been transplanted into small adults and children.
Once the couples who have been storing embryos are sure they no longer want any more children, their spare embryos may be donated to other couples, to scientific research or they may be ultimately destroyed.
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