At the Stemwell Clinic, we will gladly talk all day about the amazing properties of stem cells. The ability of stem cells to regenerate healthy tissue, to support healing and to improve the quality of people’s lives, is a constant source of wonder to us and the individuals we work with.
Stem cells are the building blocks of life. They are blank, or undifferentiated, cells that can develop into a variety of healthy tissue types including bone and muscle.
So let’s delve a little deeper into the story of stem cells. How many types of stem cells are there?
You may find several different answers to this question, thanks to the sub-divisions of the main categories of stem cell. Our contention, however, is that there are four types of stem cells – and they are as follows:
Mesenchymal
Out of all the types of stem cells that exist, this is the one that we prefer to work with at the Stemwell Clinic. The label “mesenchymal” comes from the fact they originate as mesenchyme, cells formed during the early stages of development in an embryo. Mesenchymal stem cells can be collected from several sources including bone marrow and fat tissue. At Stemwell, however, we believe the cells with the most robust potential for regeneration are to be found in the umbilical cord tissue of full-term, healthy donors.
Embryonic
As the name suggests, these are extracted from an embryo at an early stage of its development. These cells can develop as any form of healthy human tissue and, once extracted, are grown in laboratory conditions. To be clear, this is not a practice we follow at the Stemwell Clinic.
Tissue-specific
The defining characteristic of this type of stem cells is that they are more specialized, in that they can generate cell types for the particular type of tissue or organ where they are to be found. There are parts of the body, such as your skin and your blood, where these tissue-specific cells are stored so that they can replace cells that are damaged or injured.
Induced pluripotent
These cells are created in a laboratory by converting tissue-specific cells into cells with a far broader potential range of applications. They are commonly used by researchers, particularly those developing new therapies and treatments.
Contact us Now to Learn More About Stem Cell Therapy
As you can see from the list above, at the Stemwell Clinic we have a clear preference for mesenchymal stem cells that are harvested from the umbilical cord tissue of healthy, volunteer donors.
Once collected, these can be applied to a wide range of conditions as we create a bespoke healthcare plan for each one of the patients we treat.
If you would like to know more about stem cell therapy you can contact us with any questions, or apply today to check your eligibility.
