Adult stem cells

Adult stem cells are stem cells that are found in the tissues of organ in developed human beings. These cells are deep hidden within organs and are surrounded by millions of cells. The adult stem cells help in development and regeneration of the organ in which they are found. The term adult is used to indicate that these stem cells are further along the path of differentiation than are embryonic stem cells. Scientists use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell where somatic refers to cells of body.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

The adult stem cells are mutipotent, meaning they are able to produce a limited range of specialized cells, for example the various kinds of blood cells, bone cells, or muscle cells. The adult haematopoietic and the blood forming stem cells that are found in bone marrow are used in various transplants for 40 years. There are two types of stem cells that were found nearly fifty years ago in the bone marrow they are haematopoietic stem cell and mesenchymal stem cell. The haematopoietic stem cell helps is the formation of blood cells of the human body system and the mesenchymal also know as the bone marrow stromal stem cell make up a small proportion of the stromal cell population in the bone marrow and they can generate bone, cartilage, cells that support blood formation and connective tissue .Now several stem cells are found in human system namely dental pulp derived stem cells, haematopoietic stem cells, mammary stem cells ,mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial stem cells, neural stem cells, olfactory stem cells and testicular stem cells.

From 1960’s to 1990’s many scientists believed that adult brain does not have stem cells but it was said wrong .in later 1990’s scientists agreed that the brain contains stem cells and also the three major types of brain cells namely astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons can be generated from these stem cells.

These adult stem cells are thought to reside in a specific area in the tissue called the stem cell niche. The adult stem cells are very difficult to maintain and grow in culture. Once the adult stem cells are taken out of the human body the speed of multiplying and growing of these cells gets reduced. Scientists are on research to find ways by which they can grow and multiply these cells so that it can help us in injuries or diseases.

The adult stem cell has a wide advantage in therapeutic applications of stem cells. That is as with the help of stem cells several organs of the same type can be replicated, these organs can be used in the testing of various medicines this helps the pharmaceuticals to know the side effects and characteristics of the medicines. The attributes of adult stem cells are demonstrated success in some treatments and stem cells may be genetically matched to patient. The limitations of adult stem cells are they produce limited number of cell types, they are not found in all tissues and difficult to identify, isolate, maintain and grow in the laboratory.

Adult stem cells are very success in curing leukemia and bone marrow transplants. It is so evident that in future with the help of this stem cell we can cure all diseases that are said to be incurable now.