These daughter cells either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, such as blood cells.
Stem cells are special human cells that are able to develop into many different cell types. This can range from muscle cells to brain cells. In some cases, they can also fix damaged tissues. Researchers believe that stem cell-based therapies may one day be used to treat serious illnesses such as paralysis and Alzheimer disease.
Types of stem cells
Stem cells are divided into 2 main forms. They are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells. The embryonic stem cells used in research today come from unused embryos. These result from an in vitro fertilization procedure. They are donated to science. These embryonic stem cells are pluripotent. This means that they can turn into more than one type of cell.
Adult stem cells. There are 2 types of adult stem cells. One type comes from fully developed tissues such as the brain, skin, and bone marrow. There are only small numbers of stem cells in these tissues. They are more likely to generate only certain types of cells. For example, a stem cell that comes from the liver will only make more liver cells.
The second type is induced pluripotent stem cells. These are adult stem cells that have been changed in a lab to be more like embryonic stem cells. Scientists first reported that human stem cells could be changed in this way in 2006. Induced pluripotent stem cells don't seem to be different from embryonic stem cells, but scientists have not yet found one that can develop every kind of cell and tissue.
Stem cells in medicine
The only stem cells now used to treat disease are hematopoietic stem cells. These are the blood cell-forming adult stem cells found in bone marrow. Every type of blood cell in the bone marrow starts as a stem cell. Stem cells are immature cells that are able to make other blood cells that mature and function as needed.
Last Updated on: Nov 05, 2024List of Open Access Journals View More
Endocrinology and Endocrine System
Endocrinology and Endocrine System is an Open Access journal which aims to develop knowledge and to share the information freely by making them available through online without any restrictions or any other subscriptions to researchers worldwide and also to the readers globally...View More
Dermatology Case Reports: Open Access Journal
DCROAJ welcome authors to contribute current research and reports, clinical studies, review articles, short communication, editorial, letter to editor, survey reports submission of manuscripts related to devices in dermatology, dermatology studies, new technology in dermatology, biological materials, venereology, leprology etc....View More
Department of Applied Food and Nutrition Journal
DAFNJ is a scholarly open access peer-reviewed journal aim to publish be valuable source of information both clinical, experimental and theoretical in field of Food science, Food policy and Nutrition....View More
Review of Cell Science Journal
RCSJ welcome researchers, pharma companies, professors, scientists, biologists, biotechnologists, immunologists, stem cell researchers, clinical scientists, molecular biologists to contribute current research work to the scientific world....View More
Journal of Next Generation Materials Engineering Research
JNGMER welcome authors to contribute current research and reports manuscripts related to Thermal Engineering, Environmental Catalysis, Reaction kinetics, Physical Chemistry, Catalysis & Adsorption, Processes of Heat, Momentum Transfer, Nanocatalysis, Reactor Engineering, Reactor Designs and Materials, and Thermodynamic Engineering, etc...View More
Journal of Cardiology Research and Endovascular Therapy
The journal focus includes cardiac diseases, cardiovascular surgeries, pathophysiology, screening and epidemiology, vascular diseases, embolic protection, imaging technologies and electrophysiology, drug-eluting stents etc. JCRET articles will be strictly peer-reviewed through double blind...View More