Cord Blood Stem Cell Glossary
Adult stem cells
Stem cells found in different tissues of an adult body that remain in an undifferentiated or unspecialized state.
Bone marrow stromal cell
Bone marrow cells can differentiate into different cell types including bone, cartilage and fat.
Cell line
Cells maintained and cultured in an indefinite state.
Embryonic germline cells
Embryonic germline cells, also called EG cells, are pluripotent stem cells derived from cells that give produce eggs and sperm.
Embryonic stem cell
Also called ES cells, embryonic stem cells are derived from developing blastocysts. An ES cell is self-replicating and can all cell types found in the body.
Hematopoietic stem cells
These stem cells have the ability to replace bone marrow and produce mature blood cells.
Mesemchymal stem cell
Also known as bone marrow stromal cells.
Multipotent stem cells
Stem cells that can differentiate into other cell types within a single particular tissue or organ.
Neural stem cell
Stem cell that resides in the brain, which can make new neurons and glia cells.
Oligopotent progenitor cells
Progenitor cells that can produce more than one type of mature cell.
Pluripotent stem cells
Stem cells that can become all other cell types found in an adult body.
Progenitor cell
A progenitor cell can only differentiate, not replicate itself, unlike stem cells, which can do both.
Regenerative medicine
Medical procedures that repair damaged organs by using stem cells to replace cells and tissues damaged by aging or disease.
Somatic cells
All the cells within a developed organism except for egg and sperm (germline) cells.
Stem cells
Cells that have the ability to generate more stem cells as well as to differentiate into mature, specialized cells.
Therapeutic cloning
Somatic cell nuclear transfer for the isolation of embryonic stem cells.
Totipotent stem cells
Stem cells that give rise to all other cell types found in an adult body.
Transdifferentiation
The ability of a particular cell of one tissue or organ type to differentiate into a cell type of another tissue or organ.
Umbilical cord stem cells
Stem cells present in the blood of the umbilical cord. Umbilical cord stem cells are similar to stem cells in bone marrow and can be used for the treatment of blood diseases.
Unipotent stem cells
Stem cells that replicate and give rise to a single mature cell type.
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