What is a Stem Cell?<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe term stem cell<\/em> first appeared in the scientific literature some 150 years ago in the works of the eminent German biologist Ernst Haeckel (Haeckel, 1868). Haeckel, a major supporter of Darwin\u2019s theory of evolution, drew a number of branching trees to represent the evolution of organisms by descent from common ancestors and called these trees \u2018\u2018Stammba \u0308 ume\u2019\u2019 (German for family trees or \u2018\u2018stem trees\u2019\u2019). In this context, Haeckel used the term \u2018\u2018Stammzelle\u2019\u2019 (German for stem cell) to describe these cells as the most basic cells in our body and from which all other cells are developed.<\/p>\nEmbryonic Stem Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\nEmbryonic stem cells (ESCs)\u2014of which there are between 50 and 150\u2014are developmental cells, meaning they develop into all of the cell lines of our body and those cells replicate. They are referred to as \u201ctotipotent stem cells,\u201d being the only cells capable of giving rise to all cell types necessary to develop an embryo into a fully formed body.<\/p>\n
ESCs can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult\u00a0body\u00a0when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific cell type, however ethical and medical concerns surround their use. Due to this they have been the subject of only a small number of human trials and are illegal to use in nearly all developed countries including the US.<\/p>\n
Adult Stem Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- Hematopoietic Stem Cells \u2013 Blood cell forming stem cells found in the bone marrow and umbilical cord tissue and blood<\/li>\n
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) \u2013 Reparative stem cells found in every tissue of the body, most abundantly in our fat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The term \u201cadult stem cell\u201d is cause for some confusion, as these are the cells we are born with. Adults and infants alike possess the same \u201cadult\u201d stem cells. Thus, a more accurate and descriptive name for these cells might be \u201crepair cells,\u201d for this is their function in a fully developed body. Adult stem cells do not grow a new heart, brain, or bones\u2014they are purposed to keep what we have in good repair.<\/p>\n
The history of adult stem cell research began in the 1950s, when researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. The first population, called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), forms all the types of blood cells in the body. HSCs make up approximately 99.9% of the stem cells in bone marrow and, as they are blood forming stem cells, they are used to treat blood cancers. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are also virtually all HSCs and have been approved for use to treat blood cancers as well.[4]<\/a><\/sup> There are stem cells in the umbilical cord tissue but as they are small in number per gram it is necessary to grow them out in a dish (culture).<\/p>\nThe second population found in bone marrow is the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC).<\/p>\n
The origin of the concept of a \u201cmesenchymal\u201d stem cell goes back to the pioneering experiments of Tavassoli and Crosby in the 1960s.[5]<\/a><\/sup> In 1991, Prof. Arnold Caplan from Case-Western University named the MSC. [6]<\/a><\/sup> According to a Medline search, there are now over 49,000 published papers on MSCs and they have been used in over 700 clinical trials. In 2016, Dr. Caplan, in MSCs\u2014The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury<\/em>[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 proposed renaming mesenchymal stem cells to \u201cmedicinal signaling cells\u201d due to their function of repairing through cell-to-cell communication or the \u201cparacrine effect.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ambrosecelltherapy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Cell-to-Cell-Slide-1024x353.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ambrosecelltherapy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MSCs-Adipose-vs.-Bone-Marrow-600x485.jpg\")
<\/a>MSCs are non-blood cell-making stem cells found in every tissue of our bodies. They make up a rare proportion of the\u00a0population in the bone marrow and can differentiate into bone, cartilage and fat cells. The early adult stem cell research focused on bone marrow source but one key problem arose: The quantity and potency of bone marrow stem cells decline with age as well as in the presence of chronic diseases.<\/p>\nAdvantages of Adipose Tissue<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere is more to fat than meets the eye. Whereas many researchers focus solely on the MSCs found in bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord, placenta, dental pulp and so on, in fat they are not unlike a lead singer in a band whose music is enriched and enhanced by backup singers and the other musicians. There are many other cell types in fat that work together, and we call these \u201cregenerative cells.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adipose tissue functions as a protected reservoir of stem and regenerative cells throughout one\u2019s life. The studies using bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) for bone marrow found a steep drop-off in efficacy after the age of 62.[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAnother advantage of fat as a cell source lies in the fact that there are up to 2,500 times more MSCs in a gram of adipose tissue vs a gram of bone marrow. [9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nFat-derived regenerative cells were first discovered in 1964 by Martin Rodbell who, using an enzyme and a centrifuge, successfully liberated a mixed population of cells from the adipose tissue of a mouse. Research on adult stem cells took a quantum leap forward in 2001, when Patricia Zuk PhD, Dr. Marc Hedrick and others working in the labs of UCLA, published a paper in Tissue Engineering discussing their discovery that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside alongside other regenerative cells in our fat<\/a>.[10]<\/a><\/sup> With that a new era in medicine had begun.<\/p>\nDifferent Cells, Different Jobs<\/strong><\/h3>\nAdult stem cells from different cells sources work for different indications including certain blood cancers for bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cells. Bone marrow stem cells have been shown to be most effective in orthopedic and cardiac cell therapy in middle-aged or younger patients due to the declining number and potency as we age. Conversely, ADRCs are accessible, abundant and potent later in life and hence hold the most promise for age-related degenerative diseases.<\/p>\n
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[1]<\/a> A Nguyen, A et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 1: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 170e179<\/p>\n[2]<\/a>Guo et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 2: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 180e188<\/p>\n[3]<\/a>JK Fraser PhD and S Kesten MD Autologous Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells: A platform for therapeutic applications Advanced Wound Healing Surgical Technology International XXIX<\/p>\n[4]<\/a>C Dessels et al Factors Influencing the Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Industry: An Evolving Treatment Landscape Stem Cells Translational Medicine April 2018<\/p>\n[5]<\/a>Tavassoli M, Crosby WH. Transplantation of marrow to extramedullary sites.\u00a0Science.\u00a01968;161:54\u201356.<\/p>\n[6]<\/a> A. I. Caplan, Mesenchymal stem cells,\u00a0Journal of Orthopaedic Research, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 641\u2013650, 1991<\/p>\n[7]<\/a> A.I. Caplan MSCs \u2013 The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1413\u20131416, 2016. \u00a02015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc<\/p>\n[8]<\/a> J Willerson and E Perin Buying New Soul Journal of American College of Cardiology. 2012;60(21):2250-2251.<\/p>\n
Embryonic Stem Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\nEmbryonic stem cells (ESCs)\u2014of which there are between 50 and 150\u2014are developmental cells, meaning they develop into all of the cell lines of our body and those cells replicate. They are referred to as \u201ctotipotent stem cells,\u201d being the only cells capable of giving rise to all cell types necessary to develop an embryo into a fully formed body.<\/p>\n
ESCs can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult\u00a0body\u00a0when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific cell type, however ethical and medical concerns surround their use. Due to this they have been the subject of only a small number of human trials and are illegal to use in nearly all developed countries including the US.<\/p>\n
Adult Stem Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- Hematopoietic Stem Cells \u2013 Blood cell forming stem cells found in the bone marrow and umbilical cord tissue and blood<\/li>\n
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) \u2013 Reparative stem cells found in every tissue of the body, most abundantly in our fat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The term \u201cadult stem cell\u201d is cause for some confusion, as these are the cells we are born with. Adults and infants alike possess the same \u201cadult\u201d stem cells. Thus, a more accurate and descriptive name for these cells might be \u201crepair cells,\u201d for this is their function in a fully developed body. Adult stem cells do not grow a new heart, brain, or bones\u2014they are purposed to keep what we have in good repair.<\/p>\n
The history of adult stem cell research began in the 1950s, when researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. The first population, called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), forms all the types of blood cells in the body. HSCs make up approximately 99.9% of the stem cells in bone marrow and, as they are blood forming stem cells, they are used to treat blood cancers. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are also virtually all HSCs and have been approved for use to treat blood cancers as well.[4]<\/a><\/sup> There are stem cells in the umbilical cord tissue but as they are small in number per gram it is necessary to grow them out in a dish (culture).<\/p>\nThe second population found in bone marrow is the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC).<\/p>\n
The origin of the concept of a \u201cmesenchymal\u201d stem cell goes back to the pioneering experiments of Tavassoli and Crosby in the 1960s.[5]<\/a><\/sup> In 1991, Prof. Arnold Caplan from Case-Western University named the MSC. [6]<\/a><\/sup> According to a Medline search, there are now over 49,000 published papers on MSCs and they have been used in over 700 clinical trials. In 2016, Dr. Caplan, in MSCs\u2014The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury<\/em>[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 proposed renaming mesenchymal stem cells to \u201cmedicinal signaling cells\u201d due to their function of repairing through cell-to-cell communication or the \u201cparacrine effect.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a>MSCs are non-blood cell-making stem cells found in every tissue of our bodies. They make up a rare proportion of the\u00a0population in the bone marrow and can differentiate into bone, cartilage and fat cells. The early adult stem cell research focused on bone marrow source but one key problem arose: The quantity and potency of bone marrow stem cells decline with age as well as in the presence of chronic diseases.<\/p>\nAdvantages of Adipose Tissue<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere is more to fat than meets the eye. Whereas many researchers focus solely on the MSCs found in bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord, placenta, dental pulp and so on, in fat they are not unlike a lead singer in a band whose music is enriched and enhanced by backup singers and the other musicians. There are many other cell types in fat that work together, and we call these \u201cregenerative cells.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adipose tissue functions as a protected reservoir of stem and regenerative cells throughout one\u2019s life. The studies using bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) for bone marrow found a steep drop-off in efficacy after the age of 62.[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAnother advantage of fat as a cell source lies in the fact that there are up to 2,500 times more MSCs in a gram of adipose tissue vs a gram of bone marrow. [9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nFat-derived regenerative cells were first discovered in 1964 by Martin Rodbell who, using an enzyme and a centrifuge, successfully liberated a mixed population of cells from the adipose tissue of a mouse. Research on adult stem cells took a quantum leap forward in 2001, when Patricia Zuk PhD, Dr. Marc Hedrick and others working in the labs of UCLA, published a paper in Tissue Engineering discussing their discovery that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside alongside other regenerative cells in our fat<\/a>.[10]<\/a><\/sup> With that a new era in medicine had begun.<\/p>\nDifferent Cells, Different Jobs<\/strong><\/h3>\nAdult stem cells from different cells sources work for different indications including certain blood cancers for bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cells. Bone marrow stem cells have been shown to be most effective in orthopedic and cardiac cell therapy in middle-aged or younger patients due to the declining number and potency as we age. Conversely, ADRCs are accessible, abundant and potent later in life and hence hold the most promise for age-related degenerative diseases.<\/p>\n
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[1]<\/a> A Nguyen, A et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 1: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 170e179<\/p>\n[2]<\/a>Guo et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 2: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 180e188<\/p>\n[3]<\/a>JK Fraser PhD and S Kesten MD Autologous Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells: A platform for therapeutic applications Advanced Wound Healing Surgical Technology International XXIX<\/p>\n[4]<\/a>C Dessels et al Factors Influencing the Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Industry: An Evolving Treatment Landscape Stem Cells Translational Medicine April 2018<\/p>\n[5]<\/a>Tavassoli M, Crosby WH. Transplantation of marrow to extramedullary sites.\u00a0Science.\u00a01968;161:54\u201356.<\/p>\n[6]<\/a> A. I. Caplan, Mesenchymal stem cells,\u00a0Journal of Orthopaedic Research, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 641\u2013650, 1991<\/p>\n[7]<\/a> A.I. Caplan MSCs \u2013 The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1413\u20131416, 2016. \u00a02015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc<\/p>\n[8]<\/a> J Willerson and E Perin Buying New Soul Journal of American College of Cardiology. 2012;60(21):2250-2251.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Hematopoietic Stem Cells \u2013 Blood cell forming stem cells found in the bone marrow and umbilical cord tissue and blood<\/li>\n
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) \u2013 Reparative stem cells found in every tissue of the body, most abundantly in our fat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The term \u201cadult stem cell\u201d is cause for some confusion, as these are the cells we are born with. Adults and infants alike possess the same \u201cadult\u201d stem cells. Thus, a more accurate and descriptive name for these cells might be \u201crepair cells,\u201d for this is their function in a fully developed body. Adult stem cells do not grow a new heart, brain, or bones\u2014they are purposed to keep what we have in good repair.<\/p>\n
The history of adult stem cell research began in the 1950s, when researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. The first population, called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), forms all the types of blood cells in the body. HSCs make up approximately 99.9% of the stem cells in bone marrow and, as they are blood forming stem cells, they are used to treat blood cancers. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are also virtually all HSCs and have been approved for use to treat blood cancers as well.[4]<\/a><\/sup> There are stem cells in the umbilical cord tissue but as they are small in number per gram it is necessary to grow them out in a dish (culture).<\/p>\n
The second population found in bone marrow is the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC).<\/p>\n
The origin of the concept of a \u201cmesenchymal\u201d stem cell goes back to the pioneering experiments of Tavassoli and Crosby in the 1960s.[5]<\/a><\/sup> In 1991, Prof. Arnold Caplan from Case-Western University named the MSC. [6]<\/a><\/sup> According to a Medline search, there are now over 49,000 published papers on MSCs and they have been used in over 700 clinical trials. In 2016, Dr. Caplan, in MSCs\u2014The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury<\/em>[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 proposed renaming mesenchymal stem cells to \u201cmedicinal signaling cells\u201d due to their function of repairing through cell-to-cell communication or the \u201cparacrine effect.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/a>MSCs are non-blood cell-making stem cells found in every tissue of our bodies. They make up a rare proportion of the\u00a0population in the bone marrow and can differentiate into bone, cartilage and fat cells. The early adult stem cell research focused on bone marrow source but one key problem arose: The quantity and potency of bone marrow stem cells decline with age as well as in the presence of chronic diseases.<\/p>\nAdvantages of Adipose Tissue<\/strong><\/h3>\n
There is more to fat than meets the eye. Whereas many researchers focus solely on the MSCs found in bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord, placenta, dental pulp and so on, in fat they are not unlike a lead singer in a band whose music is enriched and enhanced by backup singers and the other musicians. There are many other cell types in fat that work together, and we call these \u201cregenerative cells.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adipose tissue functions as a protected reservoir of stem and regenerative cells throughout one\u2019s life. The studies using bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) for bone marrow found a steep drop-off in efficacy after the age of 62.[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n
Another advantage of fat as a cell source lies in the fact that there are up to 2,500 times more MSCs in a gram of adipose tissue vs a gram of bone marrow. [9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n
Fat-derived regenerative cells were first discovered in 1964 by Martin Rodbell who, using an enzyme and a centrifuge, successfully liberated a mixed population of cells from the adipose tissue of a mouse. Research on adult stem cells took a quantum leap forward in 2001, when Patricia Zuk PhD, Dr. Marc Hedrick and others working in the labs of UCLA, published a paper in Tissue Engineering discussing their discovery that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside alongside other regenerative cells in our fat<\/a>.[10]<\/a><\/sup> With that a new era in medicine had begun.<\/p>\n
Different Cells, Different Jobs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Adult stem cells from different cells sources work for different indications including certain blood cancers for bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cells. Bone marrow stem cells have been shown to be most effective in orthopedic and cardiac cell therapy in middle-aged or younger patients due to the declining number and potency as we age. Conversely, ADRCs are accessible, abundant and potent later in life and hence hold the most promise for age-related degenerative diseases.<\/p>\n
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[1]<\/a> A Nguyen, A et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 1: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 170e179<\/p>\n
[2]<\/a>Guo et al Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 2: Current concepts and review of the literature Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2016) 69, 180e188<\/p>\n
[3]<\/a>JK Fraser PhD and S Kesten MD Autologous Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells: A platform for therapeutic applications Advanced Wound Healing Surgical Technology International XXIX<\/p>\n
[4]<\/a>C Dessels et al Factors Influencing the Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Industry: An Evolving Treatment Landscape Stem Cells Translational Medicine April 2018<\/p>\n
[5]<\/a>Tavassoli M, Crosby WH. Transplantation of marrow to extramedullary sites.\u00a0Science.\u00a01968;161:54\u201356.<\/p>\n
[6]<\/a> A. I. Caplan, Mesenchymal stem cells,\u00a0Journal of Orthopaedic Research, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 641\u2013650, 1991<\/p>\n
[7]<\/a> A.I. Caplan MSCs \u2013 The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1413\u20131416, 2016. \u00a02015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc<\/p>\n
[8]<\/a> J Willerson and E Perin Buying New Soul Journal of American College of Cardiology. 2012;60(21):2250-2251.<\/p>\n