2/9/2017: Week 1 – Project Details

Hello!
This post, including a project abstract and additional details about my project, will outline the specifics of what I am trying to achieve through my research.


PROJECT ABSTRACT
The largest growth spurt we experience isn’t when we’re 12 or 13 – it’s the nine months we spent in the womb, rapidly growing and developing. AniCell Biotech capitalizes on this fact, using amnion to produce stem cell based treatments for otherwise unhealable wounds. Primarily focused on animal wounds at the moment, their product has generated tremendous results, greatly reducing the risk of infection and the need for euthanizations by bringing about quick and effective healing.

As displayed by AniCell’s success, stem cells have tremendous potential to be an integral part of medicine’s future. My project takes inspiration from this and attempts to expand the applications of stem cells, starting with the improvement of existing animal treatments. By conducting independent research on stem cell therapy in conjunction with experiencing AniCell’s collection and production process, I can effectively observe the efficiency of existing treatments and link them to studies on expanding the use of stem cells. A few decades ago, stem cell therapy was an unimaginable reality, but now, it could very well be an important part of our futures, and is worth examining further.
ADDITIONAL PROJECT DETAILS
As stated in my abstract, my project focuses on expanding the applications of stem cells. Here, I will go into further detail about how/why I’m studying this and AniCell Biotech, the company I’ll be working with.

AniCell Biotech currently produces various types of treatments (ranging from membranes for external wounds to liquid allograft for internal wounds) for dogs and horses. Because they aren’t currently involved in new research, I won’t be trying to answer a specific question they already have. Rather, I will be using the experience I gain learning about and engineering their products to aid an independent study on stem cells. This independent research will likely consist of consulting scholarly journals (possibly recommended by my mentors at AniCell) and reading books on stem cells. Right now, my main focus is on researching how stem cells can be used to treat cancers, but this is likely to shift/expand as I discover more.

The work AniCell is doing is very important because severe wounds often leave no better option than euthanasia, and stem cell therapy has given many animals a second chance, healing everything from holes in the eyes to broken bones. I wish to expand upon this and help create a “better option” for dealing with more situations like these.


IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1) To what extent has success been observed regarding regenerative stem cell therapy for different conditions in the past? What are some possible implications for humans using such technology?

2) Could the treatment currently available for dogs and horses be easily transformed into an effective treatment for humans? If so, what are some of the necessary steps that would have to be taken?

3) How exactly do AniCell Biotech's treatments work, and which parts of this process are the most important?

4) What is the collection and production process for biotechnological treatments, and how much “non-research” work goes into making it all possible?

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