Stem cells heal the body

Stem cells are immature cells that have not yet specialized. They are unique because they can reproduce themselves by division, while generating more specialized mature cells. By reproducing themselves they retain their immature stage and the level of stem cells in the body. This is a vital feature because a specialized cell can not go back in maturity on their own.

There is more than 10 000 billion cells in an adult body. All of them have been formed from a single stem cell. During conception, the gametes merge into a stem cell that begins to divide immediately and become more. As the cells divide, they also become more specialized, they differentiate. Differentiation gives cells certain properties, e.g. if the cell is to become a red or white blood cell or whether it will become a bone or muscle cell.

When transplanting stem cells, it is important that recipients and donors have the matching tissue type. If the recipient receives cells that match, the risk of a rejection reaction associated with the treatment decreases.

Relationship between donor and recipient has proved important. Generally, a relative is preferred as a donor. The need of exact match between donor and recipient depends on which disease to be treated, the treatment method and the source of stem cell used. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are a immature stem cell source compared to bone marrow and makes it easier on tissue type matching.

It is easy to find out which tissue type a person has with a blood sample.