There are some cells in our bodies (stem cells) that are able to form new structures even in adults. How do the stem cells retain this capacity and can we harness it to cure debilitating diseases?
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells In our body that can turn into any specific cells, as per the requirement of the body.
A person’s body contains stem cells throughout their life. The body can use these stem cells whenever it needs them.
Also called tissue-specific or somatic stem cells, adult stem cells exist throughout the body from the time an embryo develops.
The cells are in a non-specific state, but they are more specialized than embryonic stem cells. They remain in this state until the body needs them for a specific purpose, say, as skin or muscle cells.
Day-to-day living means the body is constantly renewing its tissues. In some parts of the body, such as the gut and bone marrow stem cells regularly divide to produce new body tissues for maintenance and repair.
Stem cells are present inside different types of tissue. Scientists have found stem cells in tissues, including:
- the brain
- bone marrow
- blood and blood vessels
- skeletal muscles
- skin
- the liver
However, stem cells can be difficult to find. They can stay non-dividing and non-specific for years until the body summons them to repair or grow new tissue.
Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely. This means they can generate various cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the original organ, entirely.
This division and regeneration are how a skin wound heals, or how an organ such as the liver, for example, can repair itself after damage.
In the past, scientists believed adult stem cells could only differentiate based on their tissue of origin. However, some evidence now suggests that they can differentiate to become other cell types, as well.
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