Primary undifferentiated cell that retains the ability to produce an identical copy of itself when divided (self‐renew) and differentiated into another cell type.
Relatively undifferentiated cells of the same lineage (family type) that retain the ability to divide and cycle throughout postnatal life to provide cells that can become specialized and take the place of those that die or are lost.
Bone marrow cells, some of which eventually mature into red blood cells or white blood cells. The stem cells that remain in the bone marrow maintain their own numbers by self-renewal divisions, yielding more cells to start the maturation process. This maturation process is stimulated and controlled by stem cell growth factor (SCF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and by granulocytemacrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF).
Cells that can become any specialized cell in the body may be embryonic, present in bone marrow, or other tissues of the body.
A cell from which all other cell types can be generated given the appropriate environment and signaling factors.
A cell with the ability to divide indefinitely and give rise to the specialized cells that make up tissues and organs. Stem cells are found in humans at every stage from embryo to adult. In the embryo, they occur as the inner mass of cells in the early developmental stage known as the blastocyst. Since these cells eventually develop into every tissue and organ in the human body, they are called pluripotent (from Latin and meaning many- powered). Pluripotent cells taken from human embryos may have the potential to grow into cell lines in the laboratory, which could then be used for cell therapy (methods of treating disease by replacing diseased cells with healthy ones grown from stem cells).
Stem cells develop a few days after an egg (ovum) is fertilized by a spermatozoon and starts developing to form an embryo. These master cells are crucial to the development of a normal embryo. They contain a specialized enzyme that gives them the facility to divide indefinitely, developing into the many different specialized cells that comprise the various tissues in the body for example, skin, blood, muscle, glands or nerves.
Any cell that can develop into more specifically differentiated daughter cells. Stem cells can be harvested from bone marrow, embryonic tissues, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood and used in applications such as hematological transplants.
A fundamental bodily cell that serves as the origin point for more specialized cell types. Stem cells located in bone marrow are responsible for generating blood cells. These cells can also be found in the bloodstream and in the umbilical cord of newborns.
Stem cells offer a substitute for traditional bone marrow transplants, primarily benefiting individuals undergoing treatment for leukemia and other forms of cancer. In the future, this method could also be applied to non-cancerous conditions. The cells for transplantation can come from various sources: a sibling donor, a genetically compatible but unrelated donor, or from preserved umbilical cord blood. Additionally, patients have the option to serve as their own donors by having their stem cells collected and stored for later reinfusion, especially after treatments that have compromised the bone marrow.