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Types of Human Stem Cells - P2
Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells.
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Cord Blood Stem Cells
Umbilical cord blood is human blood obtained from the placenta and umbilical cord shortly after birth. Cord blood contains embryonic-like stem cells called CBEs.
In the late 1980s, these cells were used in the first successful sibling-donor transplant. Cord blood stem cells are now commonly stored in public and private cord blood banks, and have been used to treat a number of blood and immune-system related genetic diseases, cancers, and disorders.
More recent developments include a project in 2005 in which a team of researchers at Kensington University successfully coaxed CBEs to differentiate into liver cells. CBEs certainly hold promise for the future development of stem cell therapies.
Adult Stem Cells
An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found in a tissue or organ. This cell type can produce more stem cells and can also give rise to specialized cell types of the tissue or organ they are located in. The main job of an adult stem cell is to maintain and repair the tissue in which it is found. When compared to embryonic and cord blood stem cell, adult stem cells are more limited in the type of cells that they can generate.
This type of stem cell is not quite as primitive as embryonic stem cells, which can give rise to any tissue type of the body. Still, CBEs are more versatile than adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow.
When the term 'adult stem cell' is used, bone marrow cells are typically the cell type being referred to; and adult blood forming (hematopoietic) stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for the past 30 years.
However, researchers have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. Certain kinds of adult stem cells, under the right conditions, appear to be able to differentiate into a number of different kinds of cells; a finding that has led some scientists to wonder whether adult stem cells can be used for a wider range of transplant types.
Sources
- Stem Cell Information Page from the National Institutes of Health
- Stem Cell Animations & Videos from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- How Embryonic Stem Cell Lines are Made, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
The Virtual Cell Biology Classroom provides a wide range of free educational resources including Power Point Lectures, Study Guides, Review Questions and Practice Test Questions.
Page last updated: 1/2016
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