Stem-cell therapy

Stem-cell therapy (pronunciation: /stɛm sɛl ˈθɛrəpi/) is a type of treatment that uses stem cells to repair damaged cells, tissues, and organs in the body.

Etymology

The term "stem-cell therapy" is derived from the English words "stem cell" and "therapy". "Stem cell" refers to the biological cells that can differentiate into other types of cells and can divide to produce more of the same type of stem cells. "Therapy" is derived from the Greek word "therapeia" which means "healing" or "curing".

Definition

Stem-cell therapy is a type of regenerative medicine that introduces new cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury. This therapy has the potential to radically change the treatment of human disease.

Types of Stem-cell Therapy

There are two broad types of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells, and Non-embryonic (adult) stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells: These are stem cells that are derived from unused embryos. They can turn into more than one type of cell and are pluripotent.

Non-embryonic (adult) stem cells: These are stem cells that are found in infants, children, and adults. They are more specialized and can only turn into certain types of cells.

Applications

Stem-cell therapy has been used in various medical treatments including Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple sclerosis. It is also being studied for treatments of other conditions, such as Heart disease, Diabetes, and Arthritis.

Related Terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Stem-cell therapy
Wikipedia's article - Stem-cell therapy

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Stem-cell therapy