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Stem cell is the type of cell of the body which is the youngest and undifferentiated cell. It has the ability
to differentiate into any kind of cell of the human body. Stem cells can divide further into more daughter
cells under proper conditions. The daughter cells have the property of self-renewal to become new stem
cells and can regrow into specialized cells having a specific function as for example blood cells, heart
muscle cells, brain cells, etc.
According to the source, the stem cells can be divided into 3 types of stem cells – embryonic stem cells,
fetal stem cells and adult stem cells.
1. Embryonic stem cells – The name itself suggests that these stem cells are obtained from
embryos. These stem cells are the inner mass cells of the blastocyst. Embryonic stem cells are
pluripotent and can develop into any type of cell in the embryo. This potential of stem cells gives
rise to the development of more cells to the embryo which then grows into a baby.
2. Adult stem cells – Adult stem cells are the undifferentiated cells that are found in a human
body and have the ability to replace the damaged cells and regenerate the tissues. These stem
cells are also known as somatic stem cells and are found in children as well as human adults.
These stem cells can be isolated from the adults and can be grown in laboratory so that they can
be used for stem cell therapy of the patient. The adult stem cells can be extracted from any part
of the body but the bone marrow contains huge amount of stem cells
However, extraction of bone marrow is very painful, so researchers have found that stem cells
can also be extracted from umbilical cord blood and tissue which is the richest source of stem
cells
3. Foetal stem cells – Cells derived from a Foetus that retains the ability to divide, proliferate and
provide progenitor cells that can differentiate into specialized cells. The embryo is referred to as
a foetus after the eighth week of development. Once a foetal stem cell has been harvested, it
has the potential to live indefinitely in the laboratory. Foetal stem cells can be isolated from
foetal blood and bone marrow as well as from other foetal tissues, including liver and kidney.
Cell potency is the ability of the cells to differentiate into other types of cells. Greater the potency of the
cell more is the ability of a cell to differentiate into different cell types. According to potency, cells can
be divided into 5 types.
1. Totipotent
• Totipotent stem cells are the most powerful stem cell
• They can differentiate into embryonic cells and tissues
• Have the ability to develop into a living organism
• e.g. fertilized egg
2. Pluripotent
3. Multipotent
4. Oligopotent
“Stem cells can be extracted from both cord blood and cord tissue.”
Cord blood
Cord blood (umbilical cord blood) is blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical
cord after childbirth.
Cord blood is made up of these components - Red blood cells, Blood, Plasma, platelets, which are found
in the whole blood. In comparison with the whole blood, there are some differences in the cord blood,
such as the cord blood contains more natural killer cells, lower absolute numbers of the T-cells and a
higher immature T-cells are available. However, it is mainly the observation that cord blood contains
various types of stem and progenitor cells, mostly hematopoietic stem cells, that contributes to the
interest of cord blood. Many non-hematopoietic stem cell types are also present in cord blood, such as
Mesenchymal stem cells, but in a lesser amount than bone marrow. Cord blood can also include
endothelial progenitor cells and multipotent adult stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are frequently
confused with embryonic stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are the type of adult stem cells which is
different from the embryonic stem cells.
The outermost layer of the umbilical cord is known as cord lining, umbilical cord lining and cord tissue.
The umbilical cord itself is an extended part of the placenta and is a prolongation of the amniotic
membrane which covers the placenta. The cord tissue membrane is made up of the amniotic layer
which the epithelial layer and the sub-amniotic layer which is the epithelial layer. Umbilical cord tissue is
the rich source of two types of stem cells, the epithelial stem cells and the mesenchymal stem cells.
Therefore, cord blood provides a beneficial option for patients when compared to bone marrow
transplants. The process of collection of cord blood is easier than bone marrow and can be stored when
frozen. The risk of immune failure and infections, including Graft and Host Disease, often seems less
than bone marrow. This means that cord blood does not need to be as perfectly matched to the patient
as bone marrow.
Nevertheless, there are also restrictions on cord blood transplants. Cord blood care for adults usually
requires two cord blood units for treatment. Clinical studies using adult dual cord blood transplantation
have shown similar results to other HSC sources, like bone marrow or peripheral blood mobilized. There
are currently experiments to extend a single blood cord for adult use.