When do stem cells die

Ultimately, fewer white blood cells are produced, which contributes to a deficient immune system and diminished resistance to disease and infections in the elderly. One fascinating avenue of research focuses on what happens to stem cells in the brain as we age. This dogma was broken by the discovery of neural stem cells NSCs , which reside in certain regions of the brain. Now we know that NSCs do have the ability to produce glia and some types of neurons in certain conditions.

As NSCs age, however, their ability to regenerate lost or damaged brain cells decreases and they have a significant reduction in the number of neurons they can generate.

Fortunately, the advent of technology to identify and isolate these NSCs means we can study how they change as they age and, armed with this knowledge, begin to innovate ways to halt or reverse the aging process. Recently published research from a group at Stanford University provides fascinating new insights. Scientist discovers stem cell 'partnership' that could advance regenerative medicine Aug 17, Sep 03, Aug 13, Recommended for you. Study reveals tactics used by US stem cell clinics to market their treatments 1 hour ago.

A fresh look at joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients 3 hours ago. Nov 10, Load comments 1. Let us know if there is a problem with our content. Your message to the editors. Your email only if you want to be contacted back. Send Feedback. Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. E-mail the story How long do stem cells live? Your friend's email. Your email. I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. These help people with cancer make new blood cells after their own hematopoietic stem cells have been killed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

They may also be used to treat people with conditions such as Fanconi anemia. This is a blood disorder that causes the body's bone marrow to fail. Stem cells may help your health in the future in many ways and through many new treatments. Researchers think that stem cells will be used to help create new tissue. For example, one day healthcare providers may be able to treat people with chronic heart disease.

They can do this by growing healthy heart muscle cells in a lab and transplanting them into damaged hearts.

Other treatments could target illnesses such as type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. New medicines could also be tested on cells made from pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells need much more study before their use can be expanded. Scientists must first learn more about how embryonic stem cells develop. Fresh stem cells are needed when a patient is low on red blood cells, as in anemia, or white blood cells, which can be caused by cancer or even cancer treatments such as irradiation or chemotherapy.

The problem is that a bone marrow transplant might not succeed because the transplanted stem cells don't live long enough or because they proliferate too well, leading to leukemia. To help determine how long a bone marrow stem cell graft will last, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute Sanford-Burnham have developed a mathematical model that predicts how long a stem cell will live and tested those predictions in a mouse model.

The study, led by Christa Muller-Sieburg, Dr. So we created a computer program that predicts that lifespan. Researchers drew blood from transplant recipients, took a few initial measurements of the mature white blood cells generated from the transplant, and entered those parameters into a computer program that predicts their lifespan.

This information was then compared to the stem cells' true lifespan. Some stem cells lasted five months and others more than three years, but again and again the computer program predicted survival time with surprising accuracy.