Horizon Campus facilitates research on tissue culture
The Biotechnology programs conducted by Faculty of Science, Horizon Campus in collaboration with Nilai University, Malaysia, include “Plant and Animal Tissue Culture Techniques” as a module which is designed to help undergraduates to develop their skills and knowledge required to become professional Biotechnologists.
Stem cell technology will become the cure for many diseases in human beings and has high scope to generate healthypeople. Studying of these subjects will provide huge career opportunities in medical and other research areas. Horizon campus has opened new pathways to passionate students to improve their knowledge and competence. Well- equipped laboratories, more comfortable learning environment and professional academic panel at Horizon Campus make your dream come true.
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are undifferentiatedcells which are continuouslydividing and developing into many types of cells in the body during early life and growth. There are mainly two types of stem cells found in mammals called embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells derived from inner cell mass of blastocyst: a structure formed in the early stage of development in mammals. Inner cell mass subsequently develop into the embryo. Human embryos become blastocysts at the time they consist of 50-150 cells within 4-5 days of fertilization. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found in various tissues in adult organisms which are multiply by cell division and repair damaged tissues and replenish dying cells. These are known as Somatic stem cells. Adult stem cells confined to specif- ic area of each tissue where they may remain quiescent or nondividing for many years until they are activated by disease or tissue injury. The adult stem cells contain brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin and liver.
Stem cells as totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and unipotent according to the differentiation potential known as potency: is the capacity to differentiate into specialized cell types.
Totipotent stem cells have potential to construct a complete viable organism. A fertilized egg and cells produced from first few division of the fertilized egg known as morula, express this ability. Stem cells have the potential to develop into any type of cell except extra embryonic tissue such as placenta. Embryonic stem cells are considered as pluripotent stem cells. Multipotent stem cells differentiate into limited types of cells which are found in adult organisms.Unipotent stem cells have the potential only to form single type of cells, more specialized stem cells, but have capacity to selfrenew of damaged tissues.
Research attempts on embryonic stem cells generally create ethical issues on religious ground. An embryo has the potential to be an organism and extracting stem cells for research purpose will damage to the embryo. It is ethically accepted to take animal embryonic stem cells for research purpose but there is restriction for human embryonic stem cell research. Therefore, scientists tend to search new ways to produce embryonic stem cellswithout extracting from embryos.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technique used to produce embryonic stem cells invitro. The enucleated oocyte (egg cell) is fused with nucleus of a somatic cell. The ovum which contains the somatic cell’s nucleus is stimulated with a shock to proliferate cells. Then egg is getting capability to produce an adult organism or tissue which is identical to the donor of somatic cell nucleus. This technique is used in reproductive cloning and therapeutic medicine. Induced pluripotent stem cells ( iPSCs) are somatic cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to become an embryonic stem cell- like cells. iPSCs is a technique which can overcome problems in SCNT production.
Applications of Stem cell Therapy
Research on stem cells are carried on to understand the complex processes of human development, Drug testing with human pluripotent stem cell lines are used to test new medications other than the cancer cell lines. Most significant application of human stem cell is the use in cell- based therapies such as hematopoietic stem cells ( HSCs) which are used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and several other inherited blood disorders. Other than these, new research are going on to test possibilities of using stem cell therapies to cure diseases including heart diseases, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, burns, arthritis and muscular degeneration. In an organ or tissue transplantation to another person, would result immune system rejection. However, different types of stem cell techniques can be used to make genetically identical tissue or organs of the patients.
Interested parties in the said field can obtain further information by visiting www. horioncampus. edu. lk or by contact 0114 365 555, 0716 613 613, 0714 387 387 or visit Horizon Campus at Malabe.