Stem cells are cells that originate from adult body tissues and embryos. They have the capacity to divide and develop into various other cells with specialized functions. Due to this ability, stem cells are considered invaluable in many modern medical treatments. It is becoming a trend now to store these stem cells in stem cells banks with cryopreservation methods and use them when they are needed to treat various health conditions.

What are the four types of stem cells?

You can store stem cells at an affordable cord blood bank at $19.99/month. Here are four stem cell types that you need to know about:

1) Embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells are the pluripotent cells that occur in the inner cell mass of a blastocyst. A blastocyst is a 3 to 5 days old embryo after fertilization and prior to implantation. The embryonic stem cells can differentiate in the developmental process and develop into various types of cells that form the specialized tissues of the body like the skin, nerves, liver, intestine, kidneys, etc.

Human embryonic stem cells are used in research to understand cellular development and medical treatments. These stem cells come from the inner cell masses of donated embryos that get fertilized in vitro. They do not come from naturally fertilized embryos.

2) Tissue-specific stem cells

Tissue-specific stem cells are also known as adult stem cells or somatic cells. They are specialized cells occurring in different tissues and organs and can generated specific cell types to form these tissues and organs. That is, these stem cells can generate only tissue-specific cells. For example, the bone marrow contains hematopoietic or blood-forming stem cells that can only generate white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. They cannot give rise to any other types of cells. Similarly, the stem cells that occur in the liver or the lungs can only form cells specific to those organs and not any other cell types. Unlike embryonic stem cells, tissue-specific stem cells are difficult generate in a lab.

3) Mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells that occur in the umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, menses blood, bone marrow, adipose tissue, and other tissues. They have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into various types of cells. For example, the mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow can form fat, cartilage, and bone cells. At present, scientists are still trying to understand mesenchymal stem cells, the types of cells they can generate, and their possible uses in medical treatments.

4) Induced pluripotent stem cells.

Induced pluripotent stem are those stem cells that scientists grow in laboratories for research purposes. Scientists inject viruses into tissue-specific stem cells and engineer these stem cells to behave like embryonic stem cells. Scientists use these cells to understand the cellular development process, to find out what happens to cells in case of disease, and to study the effects of medications and therapies on cells. They may lead to newer and more effective medical treatments.