Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Edgar Raygoza
UTEP
English 1312
10/09/2014
Jasmine Villa

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Abstract
Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body during
their growth. Stem cells serve as an internal repair system, stem cells can divide infinitely
replace any other cells as long as our bodies are still working. There are many different types of
stem cells that contain different capacities and help scientist and doctors find new treatments and
cures for diseases. Leukemia is cancer that originates in the blood; this type of cancer is
characterized by the growth of uncontrolled white blood cells. Doctors and scientist are
researching the use of stem cells to treat leukemia and ultimately find a cure to get rid leukemia.
Leukemia is a disease that scientist are trying to find a treatment with stem cells and ultimately
get rid of it. There are many other diseases that scientist do not have a cure or a treatment for it;
this is where ALS comes in place. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects
nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord.

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Introduction
Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body
during their growth. Stem cells serve as an internal repair system, stem cells can divide infinitely
replace any other cells as long as our bodies are still working. With all these different capacities
stem cells have, scientist are trying to use them to make new treatments and medicines for
diseases that as of now, there are no cures for them. There two types of diseases that scientist
have been working on finding new treatments is for leukemia, cancer in the blood and bone
marrow, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. The following
report addresses how do stem cells influence the development of new cures and treatments for
diseases, how do stem cells help find a cure or treatment for leukemia, and how do scientist use
stem cells differentially to treat leukemia and ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease).
How do stem cells influence the Development of new cure and treatment for diseases?
There are many different types of stem cells that contain different capacities and help
scientist and doctors find new treatments and cures for diseases. Dr. Adolfo Gomez Baca sees
stem cells as stem cells are abundantly important in the making of new cures for diseases and
even the reconstruction of tissues in the body (Gomez, 2014) One type of stem cell that scientist
focus more is called an embryonic stem. This embryonic stem has three unique capacities that
make them different from each other type of stem cells. The three capacities are, as explained by
a research made in a medical school in Mexico City, the first capacity is self renewal capacity,
this means they can be maintained in culture after numerous passes and over extended periods of
time (Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G., 2014). The second
capacity embryonic stem cells contain that makes them unique is pluripotency, they can
originate under low adequate stimulai (Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Zapin, G., 2014). The third capacity is low immunogenicity compared to allogenetic adult
stem cells (Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G., 2014). These three
capacities are the ones that make embryonic stem cells so different from other stem cells, they
are unique and help the scientist do more things with them to find a new cure or a new treament
for diseases. This capacities that the authors explain have similar explanation as Dr. Adolfo
Gomez Baca, he describes stem cells as stem cells are pluripotent with the capacity to do
different functions in the body ( Gomez, 2014).
Scientist are working with different kind of stem cells to find new cures or treatments for
diseases, but one method scientist use the most is cell replacement therapy, this will lead to treat
different diseases, the diseases it will treat according to the research in the Medic Military school
this will treat a wide variety of diseases like cardiovascular disease, parkinson, diseases in
blood cells, and diabates (Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G.
2014). All this diseases mentioned in the article are a concern for humans because there is no
cure for them, and humans are highly affected by this. The process done by scientist to use the
cell replacement theraphy is, according to the research, to replace damaged cells with
functional cells that restore the normal function of the tissues or organs (Mata-Miranda, M.,
Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G. 2014). This procedure is a great step forward to
find new cures and treatments for diseases there is no cure for. The procedure of cell replacing
therapy explained above concords with what Dr. Adolfo Gomez Baca describes as, stem cells
that are not working how they are supposed to are replaced with healthy stem cells, in some
cases a donor compatible genetically with the ill person can donate these healthy stem derived
from either the bone marrow or the umbilical cord (Gomez,2014). The procedure of cell
replacing therapy is very promsing in making new cures for diseases and better treatments.

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Apart from embryonic stem cells, there are other stem cells that contribute the research to
find new cures and treatments for diseases. Induced pluripotent stem cells are, as described
Ahmer Irfan and Irfan Ahmed, they are
artificially created through the
reprogramming of human somatic cells
(Irfan & Ahmed, 2014). These are
different man made stem cells that will led
to new research to find new cures. There
are other stem cells that serve for other
purposes for example Haematopoetic stem
cells this are classically derived from
Figure 1.1 Show where some stem cells come from.

bone marrow, HSCs have been used in the

treatment of blood disorders (Irfan & Ahmed, 2014). Mesenchymal stem cells are plateadhering, fibroblast-like cells processing self-renewal ability with the capacity to differentiate
into multiple mesenchymal cells (Irfan & Ahmed, 2014). These two stem cells haematopoetic
and mesenchymal are derived from bone marrow; doctors to treat blood disorders in the body use
these two types of stem cells.
Scientist have been researching different ideas on how to gather more stem cells to cure
diseases, so some of this scientist are developing new systems or machines that create stem cells
with the same capacities to accelerate research to cure diseases there are no cure for. This lab
made stem cells are the same as embryonic stem cells, and these stem cells contain pluripotency
attributes in them. This method will help in many different scientific ways, this advantages are as
explained by Susan Solomon this new system can generate thousands and thousands of

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

genetically diverse stem cells, and this is going to allow us to understand better the sequencing of
the human genome, and generate new and improved medicines (Solomon, 2012). This method
of using stem cells for curing new diseases and making new medicines will help a lot in the field
of research for stem cells.
How do stem cells find help find a cure or treatment for leukemia?
Leukemia is cancer that originates in the blood; this type of cancer is characterized by the
growth of uncontrolled white blood cells. Doctors and scientist are researching the use of stem
cells to treat leukemia and ultimately find a cure to get rid leukemia. Stem cells help leukemia
patients attack cancer cells as explained by Fraunhofer-Gesselschaft, an organization on
researching stem cells, leukemia patients receive cell transplant, which allows them to build a
new immune system, These transplanted cells replace the diseased, blood-building stem cells in
the bone marrow and take over their job of producing healthy blood cells, while also destroying
leukemia cells (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, 2013). This procedure to treat leukemia is very
promising for patients with this disease although this procedure is not as effective for some
major reasons. Dr. Adolfo Gomez Baca explains in cases like these stem cells can produce
healthy cells that can be used in the patient to replace the damaged ones, but further investigation
needs to be done (Baca, 2014). These two explanations are related to each other, as both
procedures suggest replacing not working stem cells with healthy stem cells, but it is not
completely reliable.
There are some problems with this method of treating leukemia, the biggest problem is,
and as explained by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft the problem is that this immune system originates
from a foreign body and therefore can also attack healthy tissue in the patient (FraunhoferGesellschaft, 2013). These problems are serious because the skin, liver and intestine are the ones

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

affected by this treatment, and it could lead to organ failure. Researchers are trying to improve
the treatment with stem cells and to minimize the risks it could cause. The procedure researchers
are doing, accordingly to the report by Fraunhofer-gesellschaft, Our hopes are pinned on
monoclonal antibodies, which specifically bind to the surface of immune cells and prevent the
immune cells reacting adversely with the patient's tissue (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, 2013). This
procedure is a safer way to approach leukemia, according to the research, the parts of the body
specified above, the skin, liver and intestine would not be affected like they where with the other
type of treatment.
There are other treatments to treat leukemia, one example of this is chemotherapy, this
type of treatment is not as effective as doctors would want it to be, and chemotherapy destroys
leukemia cells as well as healthy bone marrow cells. Scientists are applying a new technique to
prevent this, Christine Weber explains the procedure in her article as donor immune cells are
transplanted with the donor haematopoietic stem cells to attack and eliminate any remaining
leukaemic cells (Weber, 2014). Although this is a safer way to approach leukemia, there will be
left several side effects in the patient that ultimately will affect the patients body in a negative
way. Scientists are now inducing Pluripotent stem cells into the research of treating leukemia,
with these stem cells scientist will have a better idea how leukemia works and that way they
could design better drugs to treat leukemia. Combination of treatments may be another way to
treat leukemia, Christine Weber describes this procedure as, chemotherapy combined with
transplantation of HSCs from either the patient or a donor offers life-saving treatment for
severely ill leukemia patients (Weber, 2014). This type of treatment can lead to a new line of
treatments for leukemia.

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

How do scientist use stem cells differentially to treat leukemia and ALS (Lou Gehrigs
Disease)?
Leukemia is a disease that scientist are trying to find a treatment with stem cells and
ultimately get rid of it. There are many other diseases that scientist do not have a cure or a
treatment for it; this is where ALS comes in place. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a
disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration
of the motor neurons leads to the death of this neurons and this causes several damages to the
persons body. The damages it could cause are involuntary muscle movement, and even people
with these diseases can become totally paralyzed ones amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is in later
stages.
Stem cells are a new way scientist are trying to approach this diseases to find cure or a
treatment for this disease. The process is somewhat similar to the process scientist do when
trying to cure leukemia. According to the ALS association most commonly, IPS (Induced
Pluripotent stem) cells are converted into motor neurons, the cells affected in ALS (ALS
Association 2014). This procedure is similar to what scientists do with leukemia in one of the
ways described above. Another thing scientist do, according to ALS association is use stem
cells or cells derived from them to deliver growth factors or protective molecules to motor
neurons in the spinal cord (ALS association, 2014). This procedure will lead to understanding
more ALS disease and what are the specials factors about this disease.
Although these procedures are very promising there are some factors and challenges that
makes this treatment unclear if it will fully work on a patient with this diseases. One of the
challenges for this is, as explained by the ALS association is coaxing the implanted cells to

grow the long distances from the spinal cord, where they would be implanted, out to the muscle,

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

where they cause contraction (ALS association, 2014). This is one of the biggest challenges
scientists are facing in the treatment to cure ALS disease. There is another factor that contributes
negatively to this type of treatment, according to the ALS association it is not certain that
transplanted stem cells would be resistant to the same source of damage that causes motor
neuron to die and stem cells may need to be modified to protect them against toxic environment
(ALS association, 2014). These factors have delayed future tests on patients to see if the
treatment scientist are implementing is a positive approach to cure ALS.
There are other treatments that can lead to the cure of Lou Gehrigs Diseases but further
information needs to be gathered so clinical trials can start operating. According to Christine
Weber, an Euro stem cell organization member, three things need to be achieved before any
treatment to cure ALS are, Protect the patients existing motor neurons, correct any damaging
conditions surrounding its environment, and target not only the spinal cord but the motor neurons
and the muscles themselves (Weber, 2012). These three things are crucial for the development
and research to start treatments for Lou Gehrigs disease, this three factors will take care of the
problems it could cause transplanting any type of stem cells to the affected area.
Clinical trials are already starting, one of clinical the trials described by Christine Weber
is a procedure implanted on animals, specifically mice in this case. The procedure for this is,
accordingly to the report by Christine Weber researchers have transplanted mesenchymal stem
cells or neural progenitor cells into mice with motor neuron damage similar to that found in
ALS (Weber, 2012). This procedure implemented on animals will allow researchers to
understand more the effects this procedure has. This procedure was successfully that scientist
started clinical trial in humans. The trials were, as described by Christine An early clinical trial
examining the safety of injecting human spinal cord stem cells directly into spinal cord of ALS

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

10

patients was completed, twelve patients participated but non of them had adverse reactions to
this treatment (Weber, 2012). This results are very promising because one hundred percent of
the patients did not had any bad reaction towards this treatment, but this clinical trial is described
as an early clinical trial so that means more research and studies have to be made towards this
treatment so in the near future they could release to all people in general.
Having explained some treatments for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and leukemia and
how stem cells work in their own fields of the body, there are a lot of similarities between these
two diseases, the similarities they have is that scientist replace dead cells or not working stem
cells and replace them with embryonic stem cells, and allow the stem cells to do their job. In
both diseases, the treatments being developed have still to consider some factors that could affect
the persons body, so further research is still in need. The differences are also very noticeable, as
some treatments explained use different type of stem cells for each type of disease.
To back up the information presented above, an interview was conducted via e-mail with
Doctor Adolfo Gomez Baca with the purpose to know his opinion and experience with stem cells
and the possible new cures and treatments stem cells could create. This interview is useful for
this report because it will give another point of view of stem cells and their potential to cure
diseases specifically leukemia and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Conclusion
Stem cells have the potential to cure different type of diseases with the properties they
have in them, they could also create new medicine to treat different type of diseases that there are
no medicines for. With the potential stem cells have doctors have started research and even
clinical trials to cure leukemia, cancer in the blood. The different types of treatments developed
and under development to cure leukemia all have stem cells as the first contributor to make these

Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

11

new treatments. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is another disease that stem cells could cure in the
future with the advances doctors are doing. Stem cells have many different capacities that allows
them to cure diseases, and also they can lead to find new cures for diseases that there are no cure
for.

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Literature Review: Stem Cell Research on Leukemia

Sources
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ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 4, 2014 from

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130402091248.htm
Gomez Baca, A. (2014, november 3). Email Interview.
Irfan, A., & Ahmed, I. (2014). Stem Cells: The Future of Personalised Medicine?.
Medical Equipment Insights, (5), 1-7. doi:10.4137/MEI.S13177
Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G. (2014). Investigacin bsica
con clulas madre pluripotentes en la Escuela Mdico Militar. (Spanish). Revista De
Sanidad Militar, 68(4), 233-237.
Mayo Clinic (2013). Stem Cell Transplant. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/testsprocedures/stem-cell-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117?pg=2
Solomon, S. (2012, June). Susan Solomon: The promise research with stem cells [Video
file]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_solomon_the_promise_of_research_with_st
The ALS association (2014). Stem Cells.

em_cells

Retrieved from http://www.alsa.org/research/about-

als-research/stem-cells.html
Weber, C. (2014) Leukaemia: how can stem cells help?. Euro Stem Cell. Retrived from
http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/leukaemia-how-can-stem-cells-help