Tuesday, November 05, 2024
Stem cell treatments offer groundbreaking potential for treating diseases and other conditions, but their safety and effectiveness vary based on how the stem cells are sourced and collected.
But where do stem cells come from for treatment? You’ll find out in this guide, as well as the harvesting process for each source.
Keep on reading to get the information you need to make the best treatment choice.
The Different Types of Stem Cells and Where Do They Come From?
Understanding the different types of stem cells, where they come from, and how they are harvested can provide better insights on what to expect during the treatment.
Adult Stem Cells (ASCs)
Also known as tissue-specific and somatic stem cells, these are the undifferentiated stem cells found in non-reproductive tissues and can only specialize into cells specific to the type of tissues and organs they are located in.
Two types of adult stem cells used in medicine: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). MSCs are used in the replacement of damaged tissues and the regeneration of high-turnover tissues, like skin and intestinal lining, while HSCs (blood-forming stem cells) aid in the reproduction of blood cells and other blood components.
Where do stem cells come from in adult? Adult stem cells come from:
Bone marrow
Bone marrow aspiration is done by inserting a needle into your rear hip bone and extracting bone marrow through a syringe.
Adipose (fat) tissues
From this source, stem cells are harvested via liposuction, a process that involves inserting a long needle percutaneously (through the skin) in the sides of the abdomen or near the belly button.
Peripheral blood
Stem cells are collected from the bloodstream through peripheral blood stem cell harvest, which involves drawing blood from one arm then processing the blood in a machine that separate stem cells. The rest of the blood components will be returned to the body through a needle in the other arm.
Other sources of adult stem cells are dental pulp and amniotic fluid. However, these are still not yet widely used in regenerative medicine.
Pluripotent Stem Cells
Pluripotent cells have the ability to differentiate into any types of cells in the body, offering broader therapeutic potential than adult stem cells.
Note that there are two types of pluripotent cells based on origin. These are:
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs)
From their name, hESCs come from early-stage embryos from unused In-vitro fertilization (IVF) egg cells that were never implanted and are donated with consent.
hESCs are created by isolating the inner cell mass of a 3 to 5-day old blastocyst and storing them in sterile laboratory dishes along with the nutrients they need to grow.
When stored under favorable conditions, the cells obtained from the blastocyst then divide into millions of stem cells, forming a stem cell line (batch of stem cells derived from one single embryo).
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)
These are adult cells (usually skin cells) that have been reprogrammed to become pluripotent. Hence, the term induced pluripotent stem cells.
Different genes and reprogramming transition factors are introduced into the adult cells collected from the patient or donor and then cultured in a laboratory.
What is the Best Source of Stem Cells?
In addition to medical condition, safety, and risks, ethical and regulatory considerations are also important when choosing where do stem cells come from for therapy.
According to the American Heart Association Journals, stem cells derived from organs and tissues (adult stem cells) are the gold standard because of their established clinical use and ethical acceptance.
However, they offer limited therapeutic potential due to their inability to differentiate into different cell types, small number, and low growth rate. Plus, adult cell transplants may produce long-term side effects.
Hence, the need for pluripotent stem cells arose, but they do come with their own share of issues.
For one, embryonic stem cells is ethically and politically controversial because the process involves the destruction of embryos.
While the development of iPSCs solves this issue, their use comes with an increased risk of tumor formation because they are reprogrammed using retroviruses that are associated with cancer.
Stemaid Institute aims to address this issue with their novel technology called Somatic Cell Nuclear Mitochondrial Transfer (SCNMT) which transforms patient’s adult cells into Nuclear Mitochondrial Transfer pluripotent stem cells (nmtPSCs) containing both the patient’s nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, reducing the risk of immune rejection even further.
It offers the same benefits as iPSCs– minimally invasive harvesting process (only skin cells are needed) and doesn’t use embryo. What sets it apart from iPSCs is the reprogramming technique doesn’t involve the use of cancer-causing retroviruses.
Reach out to know more about our transplant process and how our stem cell therapies work. Our team of medical experts is more than happy to assist you with any questions or clarifications you may have.
