Adult Stem Cells
In an adult there are tissues in which some of their cells are actively dividing, but not in others. Among those who fall are the bone marrow and skin, they found stem cells from bone marrow and skin. These cells reproduce and generate specialized cells in blood and skin respectively.
In other tissues have also been found specialized stem cells, able to reproduce and to generate specialized tissues and only those tissues. These specialized stem cells are rare and difficult to isolate.
At first it was thought that the specialized stem cells could only generate specialized cells of the same type. However it was found that these cells can generate cells with different expertise from the original. So neural stem cells of the spinal cord have produced different types of blood cells.Studies in rats have obtained liver cells from stem cells of the spinal cord. Each day brought to light new examples of specialized stem cells produce specialized cells that differ from those expected. This shows that stem cells present in the adult are much more flexible than previously thought.
From here there are great expectations for innovative therapies. It seems that adult stem cells have great potential and perhaps more easily than embryonic stem cells, being able to work from the individual’s own cells, which carry the same genetic factors. This solves also the serious ethical problems of manipulating and destroying embryos.