Case Scenario:
This case study tells the story of "Carl," a high school football player with an injured knee. His doctor recommends the use of stem cells in his recovery, and by reading their conversation, you will acquire basic knowledge about stem cells that you can then apply in a series of activities. The first activity has you choose a stem cell type and use PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov to practice basic research skills. You will then consider the options available to Carl and conclude the case by working on a "whodunit" scenario in which you must identify the kind of cells used in the treatment of another patient at the hospital.
Part A:
Three C's (Content, Concern, Connection)
Content: Pick something from this case study that stood out to you in some way. It could be something new you learned, something that made you think about this subject in a different way, or something you found interesting. Share the content you chose with the class and explain why you chose it.
Concern, or question: After reviewing this case study, what is one question or concern this content raised in your mind? This could be something that didn't settle well with you, a question you have for future research or consideration, or something you'd like to know more about. Share this concern with the class and explain why you chose it.
Connection: Why is the content in this case study important? How does it relate to the real world and/or why is this case study important? You could draw upon real world examples like something you read in the news recently, something from your favorite TV show, or any other form of connection between this case study and the importance of its content outside the classroom
Part B:
Part I:
1. How are stem cells different from other cells?
2. Why do scientists care so much about these cells? Need Assignment Help?
3. What medicinal applications do you think there are for stem cells?
Part II:
1. Describe the various stem cell potencies.
2. When thinking about therapeutic applications of stem cells, does the stem cell potency matter? Please explain.
3. If a person needed liver cells, would you use a pluripotent stem cell or a unipotent stem cell? Why?
Part III:
1. How are iPSCs different from other stem cells?
2. Are there any drawbacks of using iPSCs? Please explain.
3. Do you think ESCs should be used at all for medical approaches, considering iPSCs now exist? Why or why not?
Part IV:
1. What stem cell did you search through the PubMed site? List three recent publications regarding the stem cell Type you searched.
2. What type of clinical trials were ongoing with the stem cell type you searched on the clinical trials site? What Diseases were they targeting?
Part V:
1. What type of stem cell was used?
2. What led you to this conclusion?
3. Would any other types of stem cell be appropriate for the treatment? Explain.