BRAINCAKEPitfalls of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy also has serious risks and practical problems that must be solved before most treatments become routine.
Rejection
Stem cells from a donor, including most embryonic stem cells, have different antigens, so the patient's immune system may reject them. Immunosuppressant drugs reduce rejection but weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of infection.
Tumours
Stem cells divide readily. If they keep dividing out of control after transplantation they may form a tumour. Undifferentiated embryonic stem cells can form a teratoma, a tumour containing a mixture of tissues such as hair, muscle and bone. Every transplanted cell must therefore be fully differentiated.
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Key terms in this lesson
- immunosuppressant drug
- A drug that reduces the activity of the immune system, used to prevent rejection of transplanted cells or organs.
- multipotent
- Describes a cell able to differentiate into a limited range of related cell types.
More in Gene Expression
- Stem Cell Therapy
- Therapeutic Cloning
- Gene Editing
- Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy
- Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
- Diseases that Could Be Treated
- Type I Diabetes
- Damaged Nerves
All 39 lessons in Gene Expression · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics