The term “Stem Cell” often leads to confusion, as it is a broad term encompassing a variety of cell types with varying properties and functions. In essence, a stem cell is a reserve cell that replicates and either remains in its reserve pool or replaces a damaged or aging cell. They are the raw material cells from which all other cells are created.
Stem Cells can be pluripotent with remarkable capacities, such as VSELs, Multipotent, such as MSCs stem cells that can form tissues like cartílage, tendons and ligaments or used as messenger cells with antiflamatory properties. Or specialized tissue stem cells that can only become one type of tissue.
There are many types of stem cells, each with distinct characteristics and purposes. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the different types of stem cells, their limitations, and their potential benefits before undergoing any stem cell treatment. The type of stem cell procedure you choose can greatly impact the results you achieve. Here is a list of some of the most common stem cells.
These cells can create an entire organism but are prone to form tumors called teracarcinoma. The clinical use of embryonic stem cells is prohibited, due to this risk.
These cells can form all types of cells in the body without forming tumors. One example of pluripotent stem cells is VSELs (Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells), which are non-tumorigenic and possess unique regenerative properties. Dr. Todd Ovokaitys' groundbreaking work on VSELs has also opened new doors in age reversal technology.
These stem cells are specific to certain tissues, such as MSCs stem cells that form bone, muscle, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, as well as being used as messenger cells with potential antiflamatory properties.
These stem cells are unique to specific tissues, such as bone marrow, liver, muscle, or hair follicle stem cells. These are only useful for the specific tissues they are designed to target.
This means that VSEL stem cells can easily get access to every part of the body which other stem cells are simply too large to do. There are other stem cells in therapeutic use and clinical trial, but these are so physically large that when administered intravenously (directly into a vein) most of them get stuck in the lungs. These large stem cells never make it to the area of the body in need of repair but some people suggest that the large stem cells might produce beneficial growth factors when ‘stuck’ in the lungs. Such large stem cells may be injected directly into the place where they are needed e.g. a joint in someone suffering from joint damage or disease. This is proving to be a good route for the delivery of stem cells in joint disease. A good example of these large stem cells are Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) which are much larger than the smallest blood vessels in the lung and therefore unsuitable for intravenous use.
This does not mean that they are embryonic stem cells (ESC) which as mentioned above are expensive and potentially dangerous to use on humans. It simply means that VSEL stem cells carry some cell surface molecules which are similar to embryonic stem cells (ESC). The key message here is that VSEL stem cells are not embryonic stem cells.
This means that VSEL stem cells can, in theory, be used to treat any disease in the body.
They are found in great quantities and quality independently of the age of the person, meaning that everyone’s body carry these cells throughout their lifetime. One of the main places where these cells are present is in the blood which flows through the veins of everyone, It is therefore very easy to obtain some VSEL stem cells by taking a simple blood sample. This is very different to other stem cell types which have complex and often painful collection procedures. Most of these other stem cells are allogeneic, a medical word to describe that they come from a different person i.e. they are donated. These are not your own stem cells!