Abstract:
"Studies of hematopoiesis serve as a paradigm for understanding stem cell properties.
Stem cells, by definition, are unspecialized cells with the remarkable potential to self-renew as
well as give rise to differentiated and mature cell types in an organism. As stem cells mature,
they undergo changes in their gene expression patterns for progressive specification towards a
particular cell type. Based on their origin, stem cells are of two kinds, viz., ‘embryonic’ and
‘non-embryonic’ which includes fetal and adult stems cells. Embryonic stem cells, derived
from the undifferentiated inner cell mass of the blastocyst, can potentially contribute to
descendants of all the three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm), whereas fetal
and adult stem cells are mostly found among differentiated cells of various tissues with limited
differentiation potential (Nichols and Smith, 2011; Snippert and Clevers, 2011). Regardless of
their source, stem cells have the unique properties of self-renewability and potency to give rise
to any specialized cell types. Thus, stem cells are promising candidates for regenerative
therapies and have potential applications for treatment of blood diseases, neurodegenerative
disorders and diabetes (Koerbling and Estrov, 2003; Scadden and Srivastava, 2012)."
