{"id":10302,"date":"2024-03-25T22:25:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T22:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/?p=10302"},"modified":"2024-03-25T22:25:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T22:25:14","slug":"the-stem-cell-saviour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/2024\/03\/25\/the-stem-cell-saviour\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stem Cell Saviour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stem cells have always been an intriguing topic to me, particularly their therapeutic potential. The idea of being able to use one undifferentiated cell to create whole new organs or body parts is fascinating. After our lecture on stem cells and their therapeutic use, I decided to research the different ways that stem cells are currently being used in medicine, and one case<\/a> in particular stood out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lesley Calder was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2019. Chemotherapy treatment was unsuccessful for her cancer, and she was left with the only option of a stem cell transplant. Lesley’s three siblings volunteered to be tested, with the slim chance of finding a sibling match (~25%). By some miracle, 2 siblings were full matches and 1 was a half match. Lesley’s sister Annie was chosen to be the donor, and amazingly, Lesley has since made a full recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Using Stem Cells to Treat Cancer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stem cell is defined as a cell that can self-renew indefinitely and has the capacity to differentiate into many cell types. Their normal function within the body is to replace old, damaged or defective cells to maintain normal tissue function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stem cell transplants are used to treat diseases where the bone marrow is damaged or defective, meaning that healthy blood cells can no longer be produced. This is the case in blood cancers (e.g. leukaemia and lymphoma), which primarily affect white blood cells. The loss of blood cells is further exacerbated by intensive cancer treatment (e.g. chemotherapy), which can also damage\/destroy healthy cells. The transplantation of stem cells produces new blood cells, and helps to defend against the cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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