1Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, School of Dental Sciences, Sharda University, Greater Noida, UP
2Prof & HOD, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, SDS, Sharda University
3Prof& HOD, Dept. of FMT, School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University
4Dean/Principal, Siddhant School of Medical Science and Hospital, Mainpuri, UP
5Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, SDS, Sharda University
6Prof & HOD, Dept. of Periodontics, SDS, Sharda University
7Ex-Medical Consultant, Totipotent SC
8Reader, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, SDS, Sharda University
*Corresponding Author: E-mail: drritikasharma@gmail.com
Online published on 2 December, 2014.
Stem cells are unspecialized cell. They are capable of continuous self-renewal. They can give rise to specialized cell types. Since the discovery of stem cells till now, for years scientists have been working on the numerous possibilities that the stem cells have and studies carried out to channelize their sources to the best for benefit of mankind. Starting from the knowledge of only embryonic stem cells as the source of stem cells, now it is known that they can be extracted from cord blood and mature adult tissue. Likewise, their applications earlier limited to restoration of diseased and damaged tissue or organs have also found their place in Forensic science investigations as well. More recently use of stem cells have been found to be useful in the research arena allowing the scientists to develop models for studying human biology, pathology and genetics. This article is a general update on stem cells, their properties, sources and current applications in Medicine.
Stem cells, Embryonic stem cells, Adult stem cells, Mesenchymal stem cells
