Stem Cell Technology and Gene Therapy Notes

Definition: An undifferentiated cell that can divide to produce offspring cells. Some offspring remain as stem cells, while others differentiate.
Importance:
- Potential to develop into many different cell types during early life and growth.
- Serve as a repair system for the body.
- Replenish cells damaged or lost due to injury, disease, or aging.
Unique Ability:
- Can renew themselves through cell division.
- Can differentiate into specialized body cells (e.g., blood cells, nerve cells, bone cells).

Examples of Stem Cells
* Sex cell
* Muscle Cell
* Fat Cell
* Immune Cell
* Stem Cell
* Bone Cell
* Epithelial Cell
* Nervous Cell
* Blood Cell

Pluripotent: Can differentiate into any type of cell in the body.
Source: Derived from embryos at the blastocyst stage (typically after fertilization).

Location: Found in various tissues throughout the body.
Differentiation Potential: More limited compared to embryonic stem cells.
Role: Important in tissue repair and regeneration throughout life.
Examples:
- Hematopoietic stem cells
- Mesenchymal stem cells
- Neural stem cells
- Epithelial stem cells
- Muscle stem cells

Totipotent Stem Cells
- A one-cell fertilized egg.
- Capable of dividing and maturing into a fertile adult.
- Known as total potency.
Pluripotent Stem Cells
- Can turn into different cells of the body (nerve cells, blood cells, skin cells, brain cells, etc.).
Multipotent Stem Cells
- Can only change into a few types of specialized cells.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
- Stem cells that undergo different induction techniques (e.g., genetic engineering, electrical stimulation, exposure to progesterone).

Definition: A technique that modifies a person's genes to treat or cure disease.

Plasmid DNA
- Circular DNA molecules genetically engineered to carry therapeutic genes into human cells.
Viral Vectors
- Modified viruses.
Bacterial Vectors
- Modified bacteria.
Human Gene Editing Technology
- Repair of mutated genes.
Patient-Derived Cellular Gene Therapy Products
- Cells are removed from the patient, genetically modified, and then returned to the patient.

Definition: The process of manipulating the genetic material of an organism to introduce desirable traits or remove undesirable ones.
Applications: Agriculture, medicine, and industry.
Concerns: Long-term effects of introducing foreign genetic material are not fully understood.

Involves the insertion of foreign DNA into an organism's genome, allowing it to express new traits.

Involves making targeted changes to an organism's DNA sequence using tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 or zinc finger nucleases.

Involves creating new DNA sequences from scratch to produce desired traits or functions.

Involves creating genetically identical copies of an organism or a specific gene.

Organisms that have had genes from other species inserted into their genome, often for specific purposes such as producing medicines or improving crop yields.

Involves making precise modifications to an organism's entire genome, rather than just individual genes.

Genetically Modified Crops
- Crops modified to resist pests, herbicides, or to be more resilient to environmental conditions.
Insulin
- Used to treat diabetes.
- Often produced through genetic engineering using bacteria or yeast.
Vaccines
- Some vaccines, such as hepatitis B vaccines, are produced using genetically engineered bacteria.
Enzymes
- Enzymes used in laundry detergents and other cleaning products can be produced through genetic engineering.
Biodegradable Plastics
- Can be produced through genetic engineering.
Animal Products
- Such as salmon, have been genetically engineered to grow faster or be more resistant to disease.
Gene Therapy
- Involves modifying genes to treat or prevent disease.