Cell Therapies Derived From Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells are multipotent cells committed to specific lineages. They can replenish dying cells and damaged tissues by multiplying through cell division and differentiating into a subset of cell types specific to its lineage. As such, they hold vast regenerative and therapeutic potential. Furthermore, their use in cell therapy is less controversial as they can be harvested from various sources in humans whereas the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) often entails destruction of human embryos. Thus, recent efforts are focused on efficient expansion and differentiation of adult stem cells for clinical purposes. Notably, there have been significant advancements in clinical applications of neural, mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells. Further recent advances have highlighted a population of small (1-2 micron diameter) stem cells present in adult blood and tissue. Variously termed 'blastomere-like stem cells' and 'very-small embryonic stem cells', these novel entities express OCT4, nanog, SSEA-1, CEACAM and present an exciting new therapeutic avenue.
Read more about this topic: Cell Therapy
Famous quotes containing the words cell, derived, adult, stem and/or cells:
“In America all too few blows are struck into flesh. We kill the spirit here, we are experts at that. We use psychic bullets and kill each other cell by cell.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“In the case of our main stock of well-worn predicates, I submit that the judgment of projectibility has derived from the habitual projection, rather than the habitual projection from the judgment of projectibility. The reason why only the right predicates happen so luckily to have become well entrenched is just that the well entrenched predicates have thereby become the right ones.”
—Nelson Goodman (b. 1906)
“This is no argument against teaching manners to the young. On the contrary, it is a fine old tradition that ought to be resurrected from its current mothballs and put to work...In fact, children are much more comfortable when they know the guide rules for handling the social amenities. It’s no more fun for a child to be introduced to a strange adult and have no idea what to say or do than it is for a grownup to go to a formal dinner and have no idea what fork to use.”
—Leontine Young (20th century)
“Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.”
—Plato (c. 427–347 B.C.)
“The twelve Cells for Incorrigibles ... are also carved out of the solid rock hill. On the walls of one of the cells human “liberty” is clearly inscribed, with the “liberty” in significant quotation marks.”
—Administration in the State of Ariz, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)