Stem cells: general information and perspectives

ABSTRACT

We are now in the middle of stem cell war. Each country is trying to invest a large amount of funds into stem cell research. This is due to a potentiality of stem cells. Stem cells are capable of proliferating in an undifferentiated manner and are able to differentiate into a desired cell lineage under certain conditions. These abilities make stem cells an appealing source for cell replacement therapies (regenerative medicine), the study of developmental biology and drug/toxin screening. In addition to embryonic and adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has been recently generated through reprogramming from adult tissue cells such as fibroblasts. This technique has opened up new avenues to generate patient- and disease-specific pluripotent stem cells. Human iPS cells may be useful for gaining valuable insight into the pathophysiology of disease, as well as for discovering for new prognostic biomarkers and drug screening. Moreover, the iPS cell technology may play a major role in immune-matched clinical application in the future. In this chapter, we introduce general characteristics of various stem cells, clinical application of stem cells and future perspectives.