Stem cells are a group of undifferentiated, multipotent, and self-renewing cells that can build and recover every tissue/organ in the body. The mode by which stem cells restore any tissue/organ includes differentiation, angiogenesis, and inflammation cascades inhibition.
Sources
There are two anatomical sources for stem cells; Embryonic which originates from the umbilical cord or placenta, and Adult which is extracted from the bone marrow, adipose tissue, peripheral blood, and other sources like the dental root canal.
History
a. Nomenclature
The term “stem cells” originated by many German scientists. In 1868, Haeckel named his model “Stammzelle” on Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte describing stem cells’ function. In 1885, Weismann discussed stem cells using the term “Germ Plasm” in the context of embryological studies.
b. Characteristics
Pappenheim produced a powerful diagram about stem cells’ function and differentiation in 1905. Later on, in the 1960’s, the Canadian Duo, Till and McCulloch, proved that bone marrow cells were capable of what is called “self-renewal”, a principal feature of the functional definition of stem cells. Then, the first bone marrow transplant was performed to successfully treat two siblings with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID).
