Stem Cells: General Features and Characteristics
Yeliz Göçer1, Oytun Erbaş1
1ERBAS Institute of Experimental Medicine, Illinois, USA & Gebze, Türkiye
Keywords: Adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells.
Abstract
The discovery of stem cells and various experimental studies on stem cell biology, types, and their use in therapies are promising and shed light on scientific research in many fields. Due to the renewal, differentiation ability, and potential of stem cells, they can be transformed into various cells in organs and tissues. Their potential characteristics guide scientists in the most effective way to eliminate or prevent diseases and diseases. They are seen as an alternative treatment for some tissue and organ damage and have been proven effective. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to create a new individual and have cell properties that can create all body tissues, but stem ethical problems arise due to their ability to create an individual. Adult stem cells (ASCs) have become the favorite of regenerative medicine due to their limited but specific effects on important multipotent potentials in certain tissues. Parameters such as ease of harvest, rapid growth, and derivation power are also included in research to facilitate them. The use of mesenchymal stem cells in treatments is particularly common. Stem cells are widely used in many areas of regenerative medicine, such as orthopedics, plastic surgery, skin, and venereal diseases, due to the ease of harvest and the abundance of the obtained quantity. The wide range of ASCs is due to their specific multipotent potential for different tissues. With developing technology, stem cell use has been approved for the treatment of many diseases. However, the development of research and treatments is limited due to ethical problems and debates. Despite this, easy and effective treatments are increasing day by day. This chapter covers stem cell definition, types, and characteristics, and where they originate from.
Cite this article as: Göçer Y, Erbaş O. Stem Cells: General Features and Characteristics. JEB Med Sci 2024;5(1):1-6.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.