How does one explain the origin and purpose of the Adult Stem Cell in a world that is just discovering (once again) that we are more than a bunch of randomized genes and chromosomes that found our way here by some accident.
Yes, I know that some will find what I write quite amusing if not completely ridiculous due to the level at which I communicate and the fact that I believe that our bodies, anatomy and physiology, are no accident or random happening.
To understand the Adult Stem Cell requires some knowledge of how life starts and our bodies develop. First, as soon as the egg is fertilized by the sperm life and cell division begin. The early cell divisions are considered embryonic because they are of the embryo and are not differentiated (meaning they have not specialized into any type cell) these are the ones many researchers want to use for research because they can be "engineered" to become any type of cell, at least in vetro meaning outside the body. How many cells are we talking about? Depends on which report you read, but most put it between 140 and 200 cells. At this point the cells begin to differentiate, or become cells with a specific purpose. One may be for bone or skeletal production, another for the digestive system, another for the nervous system and so on. Yes, this is a very simple explanation and does not go into any of the details on how this actually happens. There are many reports available, written by top researchers that will go into these details, but for my purpose they would only confuse the issue. The point I am trying to make is that these cells are "builders" that build our bodies through continued duplication.
There is another cell that appears to differentiate into what we now know as the Adult Stem Cell. These cells are not "builders" as mentioned earlier, but are the "repairman" or "maintenance men" for our bodies. Their function is to help the body heal itself by traveling through the blood supply to an injured area then attaching themselves and differentiating into the type of cell that is injured or damaged then multiply as necessary for healing. Until recently, researchers have considered the Adult Stem Cell (which is normally stored in the bone morrow) interesting but of little value when it comes to repair of the body. The approach most were seeking was to obtain the embryonic stem cell, genetically program it to become whatever tissue was needed then grow them in vetro and eventually inject them into the patient. However, as early as 2000, researchers were finding out that the adult stem cell had the ability to differentiate into other cell types, including but not limited to bone, cartilage, muscle, brain, nervous, optical etc.
In concert with this new information, a researcher named Christian Drapeau who had been studying a product called AFA began to unlock the secrets of the adult stem cell. In turn, this led to the development of a patented product called StemEnhance, a natural nutritional product containing concentrations of two key ingredients of AFA. One component causes an increase of adult stem cells in circulation while the other encourages them to travel to any area needing repair, thus allowing the body to help itself naturally. StemEnhance is produced and marketed by StemTech HealthSciences Inc.
As with any new concept this revolutionary and far reaching, there will be those who will cast doubt, criticize, distort the facts and even attempt to interject scare tactics in an attempt to discourage potential users of the product. I would expect those most likely to travel this path will be those who feel they have something to loose - especially financially. At this point I would like to inject one of my favorite quotes, "Contempt prior to investigation usually makes a fool of someone".
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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