Grudeva-Popova Janet G
Department of Hematology, Medical University, Plovdiv, 15A Vassil Aprilov St., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2005;47(3-4):5-10.
Stem cells are a unique cell population capable of self-renewal and differentiation into different cell lines. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells (pluripotent) and somatic/adult stem cells (multipotent cells differentiated into the specific types of the tissue they originate from). Scientists are now interested in finding the sources of cells that can be used for therapeutic cloning as a method of saving human life and a new trend in regenerative medicine. Reproductive cloning, which aims at creating genetically identical human beings, is prohibited and is subject to national legislation in each country. Mesenchymal stem cells, with their capability to elude detection by the host's immune system and their relative ease of expansion in culture, are a very promising source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. This is the vast potential of cellular therapy for treating damaged and degenerating tissues.
干细胞是一类独特的细胞群体，能够自我更新并分化为不同的细胞系。干细胞主要有两种类型：胚胎干细胞（多能性）和体细胞/成体干细胞（多能细胞，可分化为它们所源自的特定组织类型）。科学家们目前热衷于寻找可用于治疗性克隆的细胞来源，将其作为拯救人类生命的一种方法以及再生医学的新趋势。旨在创造基因相同人类的生殖性克隆被各国法律禁止。间充质干细胞能够逃避宿主免疫系统的检测，且相对易于在培养中扩增，是再生医学中非常有前景的干细胞来源。这就是细胞疗法在治疗受损和退化组织方面的巨大潜力。
