What is meant by pluripotent stem cells?

Definition. Pluripotent stem cells are cells that have the capacity to self-renew by dividing and to develop into the three primary germ cell layers of the early embryo and therefore into all cells of the adult body, but not extra-embryonic tissues such as the placenta.

Which type of stem cells are pluripotent?

Pluripotent cells can give rise to all of the cell types that make up the body; embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent. Multipotent cells can develop into more than one cell type, but are more limited than pluripotent cells; adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells are considered multipotent.

Why is pluripotent stem cells important?

First, by their nature, pluripotent stem cells can potentially be used to create any cell or tissue the body might need to counter a wide range of diseases, from diabetes to spinal cord injury, to childhood leukemia, to heart disease.

Where are pluripotent cells from?

Pluripotent cells were found in the inner cell mass of the human embryo in 1981, and given the name human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). These cells are able to differentiate into all cells of the human body, excluding placental cells, and self-propagate in an undifferentiated state.

Why are embryonic stem cells pluripotent?

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they are able to grow (i.e. differentiate) into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body as long as they are specified to do so.

How are pluripotent stem cells used?

Induced pluripotent stem cells are widely used in therapeutics for disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery (Figure ​4). There are many applications of iPSCs in the fields of gene therapy, disease modeling and drug discovery.