HISTORY OF STEM CELL RESEARCH

Though somehow tainted with controversy, history of stem cell research has been an interesting breakthrough in science. It was in the mid 1800s that cells were discovered as the basic building blocks of life and that some cells had the ability to reproduce itself.
During the early part of 1900s, cells with ability to generate blood cells has been discovered after attempts were made to fertilize (mammalian) egg outside the body.
benefits of stem cell research

History of Stem Cell Research: 1968 to early 2000

History of stem cell research traces back from 1968 when first bone marrow transplant was performed successfully. Other key events in the history of stem cell research were the discovery of stem cells in human cord blood in 1978.

1981, first vitro stem cell was developed from mice; 1988 would be the creation of embryonic stem cell from a hamster.

In 1995, first embryonic stem cells were derived from a primate, while the first successful cloning (of a lamb) from stem cells happened in 1997. During the same year, the origin of Leukemia indicates possible proof of cancer stem cells.

A certain Thompson from University of Wisconsin, isolated some cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos to develop the first embryonic stem cell lines. This happen a year after the discovery of haematopoietic stem cell (origin of Leukemia).
During the exact same year (1998), Professor Gearhart from John Hopkins University derived some germ cell from cells found in fetal gonad tissue. This is when pluripotent stem cells were developed.

1999 and 2000, scientists discovered that it is possible to produce different cell types by manipulating adult mouse tissue. This simply explains that cells from bone marrow could produce nerve or liver cells; and that brain cells could also yield to other cell types. Such discoveries made the history of stem cell research one of the greatest and most promising in the field of science.

But such breakthroughs has its own share of controversies, as some scientists fabricated some studies and findings. One flaw in the list of history of stem cell research happened between 2004 and 2005, when a Korean researcher by the name of Hwang Woo Suk, claimed that he produced embryonic stem cell lines from unfertilized human cells. Though proven to be false and completely fabricated, this brought doubt and mistrust to the scientific community.

History of Stem Cell Researh: 2005 – Present

Scientists from Kingston University in England were purported to have found the so-called cord blood embryonic stem cells. As suggested, these type of stem cells have the ability to differentiate into more cell types as compared to adult stem cells. Such discovery paved way to the possibilities for cell-based therapies.