AMPC
Autologous Multi-lineage Potential Cells
The inception of stem cell technology
marks the first step of its application in
real-world medical practices. Many are
astonished by the potential benefits
that stem cells could provide. Driven by
this bewilderment, scientists began to
delve into stem cell research, yet most
of the science revolved around
embryonic stem cells. This avenue of
research was rife with challenges, as
considerations need to be made into
the genetics, cloning, and ethics of
manipulating what is essentially the
beginning of human life. The
controversy surrounding this was so
great that even countries in the
forefront of medical research (America
and Germany) were restricted by strict
legislative hurdles.
The resourceful man then turned his
sights onto a slew of other stem cells
sources, including the bone marrow,
cord blood, and body fat; yet the
introduction of new research pathways
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saw the rise of other potential problems.
Stem cell research is a tricky beast: the
production of stem cells could yield
impurities, low cell counts, or cancerous
stem cells. Should the cells be free of
these problems, they could still be
limited by the number of cell types they
could turn into—and hence
repair—which defeats the purpose of
using stem cell for medical applications.
And then there are processes in stem
cell culture that would seem unsavoury
to the lay public such as the use of
added chemicals or genetic
manipulation.
The difficulty in using stem cell
treatment lies in the criteria that it must
meet. These are ultimately measures
that would ensure its safe and effective
assimilation into medical practice. In
aligning theory with practice, there are
five goals that stem cell therapy must
meet: