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Stem Cell Harvesting >> What are Stem Cells?
What are Stem Cells?
Stem Cells
Stem cells are source or starter cells that have the ability to grow into adult tissue. They are the foundation for every organ, tissue and cell in the body and have the ability to repair or replace damaged tissue. For example, heart muscle damaged by heart attacks might be replaced by new muscle cells.
There are two main types of stem cells - unlimited (also known as embryonic stem cells), and limited (also known as adult stem cells).
Unlimited / Embryonic stem cells
These types of cells are referred to as unlimited because they can be manipulated and changed to form any other kind of cell type or tissue in the body. They are taken from discarded embryos from fertility clinics (with the patient's permission). Unlimited (embryonic) stem cells offer more promise in curing disease than limited (adult) cells, although this area is still very new and much research has yet to be done.
Limited / Adult Stem Cells
These types of cells are limited as they can not be manipulated and changed in the way that embryonic cells can. They can only be found in some developed organs or tissues. Limited stem cells have been used successfully for some time now in bone marrow transplants and skin and hair transplants. Limited (adult) stem cells cannot grow outside the body so need to be immediately frozen or transplanted into the patient.
Cord blood stem cells / Placental stem cells
The umbilical cord and placenta are a source of one or two types of limited (adult) stem cells, the blood producing stem cell and perhaps some connective tissue cells.
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