QUESTION 6
GS3
10 marks
Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including Leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and severe burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments?
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Describe stem cell therapy and explain its advantages over conventional treatments.
DescribeGive a clear, detailed account of the main features.
Demand-wise check
- 1Stem cells: unspecialised, self-renewing, can become specialised cells; types: embryonic, adult (bone marrow, cord blood), induced pluripotent≈30 words
- 2Applications in question: bone marrow transplant for leukaemia and thalassemia; limbal stem cells for cornea; skin grafts for burns≈30 words
- 3Advantages: repairs or replaces tissue rather than managing symptoms; autologous cells reduce rejection; one-time cure in some blood disorders≈30 words
- 4Caution: unproven clinics, ethical issues of embryos, regulation≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Definition and typesApplications named in questionAdvantagesLimits and regulationConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Generic biotech answer without the listed diseases
- Ignoring regulation and unproven therapies
Draw this
- Diagram: stem cell → differentiation into blood, skin, cornea cells
Value addition
- AwardShinya Yamanaka's induced pluripotent stem cells (2006) won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine.Nobel Prize, 2012
- GuidelinesICMR National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research (2017) allow only haematopoietic stem cell transplant as standard care; others only in trials.ICMR, 2017
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.