What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are the “mother cells,” which give rise to all of the cells in the human body. Stem cells are at the forefront of one of the most fascinating and revolutionary areas of biology today. Scientists are rapidly discovering many revolutionary uses for stem cells, because they have the unique capability to either multiply or develop into other cell types. There are different types of stem cells. A “hematopoietic” stem cell is the type collected from the umbilical cord blood. Cord blood stem cells can multiply and develop into the major components of bone marrow, blood, and the immune system.

Ongoing stem cell research is spawning ever-increasing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell, and most importantly, how healthy cells can replace damaged cells. This latter field is often referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine and stem cells are currently being used to treat more than 80 acute and chronic diseases.

Stem cells hold the potential of allowing researchers to grow and rejuvenate specific cells or tissues, which may ultimately be used to treat heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and many other diseases.