Stem cells are distinguished from other normal cell types found in the body by two of their important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division and second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions.

Embryonic Stem cells Vs Adult Stem Cells

With adequate research it has been established that Human embryonic and adult stem cells each have advantages and disadvantages regarding potential use towards stem cell therapy. One major difference between adult and embryonic stem cells is in regard to their abilities towards the number and type of differentiated cell types that they can become. Embryonic stem cells when used in stem cell therapy can become all cell types of the body because of their characteristic of being pluripotent. Adult stem cells on the other hand are thought to be limited to differentiating into only some cell types when used for stem cell therapy uses.

The other difference between embyronic stem cells and adult stem cells lies in the ease associated with the isolation and multiplication of these two stem cells. As a result they can be put to use towards the stem cell therapy uses in the future. Embryonic stem cells can be grown relatively easily in culture. Adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues, so isolating these cells from an adult tissue is relatively difficult, and methods to expand their numbers in cell culture have not yet been worked out. It has also been thought that both these types of stem cells when used towards stem cell therapy have their own way of being rejected after transplantation.

Adult stem cells, and tissues derived from them, are currently believed less likely to initiate rejection after transplantation. This is because a patient’s own cells could be used to expand in culture, coaxed into assuming a specific cell type that is differentiation, and then reintroduced into the patient towards stem cell therapy. The use of adult stem cells and tissues derived from the patient’s own adult stem cells would mean that the cells are less likely to be rejected by the immune system.

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