Where do we get our stem cells? 

Before we start, let’s clear something up. Some think regenerative treatments use stem cells that come from aborted embryos. That’s not true. This idea is incorrect because:  

• When scientific research on stem cells started, they mostly talked about embryonic stem cells. These are cells from very early-stage embryos. The news focused on ethical debates, which confused people. 

• Since then, there has been a lot of fake news about stem cells. However, there have also been many new studies on how stem cells can help people.

• The term “stem cells” is used too much and in the wrong way. It’s a complex topic, but people simplify it.

• There are different types of stem cells, but the media doesn’t explain this well.

Stem cells, much like colors, can be classified in various ways. For example, we can categorize colors as primary or secondary, or as warm or cool. Similarly, researchers can classify stem cells based on different criteria.  

For this blog post, we will explain the differences between stem cells based on what they can become (also known as potency or differentiation).  

Types of Stem Cells by Potency

Totipotent stem cells can become any cell type and can create a whole organism. The only naturally occurring totipotent cells are zygotes. They are the first cells formed after fertilization.

Pluripotent stem cells can become almost any cell type, but not extra-embryonic tissues like the placenta. 

For example, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are found in early embryos (5-7 days after fertilization). Embryonic stem cells can also be totipotent stem cells, depending on how differentiated they are. Their use is now very limited due to ethical concerns and the risk of tumor formation.  

Pluripotent stem cells can also be obtained from mature cells by reversing their development in the lab. This promising technology still needs to overcome safety issues for clinical applications. 

Multipotent stem cells can become a limited range of cells related to their tissue of origin.
For example:

-Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow can become different types of blood cells. 
-Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can become bone, cartilage, and fat cells. We use mesenchymal stem cells in our treatments. These are the types of stem cells that have vast evidence of safety and efficacy for several human conditions. 

Unipotent stem cells can only become one specific cell type. For example, muscle stem cells can only make muscle cells.

So, where do we get our mesenchymal stem cells? 

At RMI, we use stem cells from umbilical cords for regenerative treatments. These are donated by mothers who had C-sections. They consented to the donation. Donor selection is a crucial process. It requires the expertise of physicians and microbiologists.   

Here’s how it works:  

1. Donor Selection: We ask the mothers questions about their health, habits, and family and personal medical histories.
2. Consent: We explain the cord collection process to the donor and get the signed consent.
3. Collection: On the day of the C-section, the microbiologist meets the mother to sign the consent form. Then, he collects the cord and takes blood samples from the mother and the cord blood to check for diseases.
4. Processing: The cord and blood samples are taken to the lab for testing and processing.

Testing and Quality Control: 

• Disease testing: We test for HIV, Hepatitis, and other communicable diseases.
• Differentiation testing: We check if the stem cells can grow and change into different cell types.
• Sterility testing: We ensure there are no bacteria or fungi.
• Karyotype testing: We ensure there are no chromosomal abnormalities.
• Cell characterization testing: We use flow cytometry to confirm that the stem cells have the right proteins on their surfaces.

  If the sample passes this initial testing and quality control, mesenchymal stem cells are incubated and expanded for a short period. Then, they are frozen for future use in therapeutic applications.  

Advantages of umbilical cord stem cells: 

The advantages of these umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells are: 

• No risk of tumors: These stem cells are safer for treating people than embryonic stem cells because they don’t form tumors.
• No age-related damage: These stem cells come from a newborn’s umbilical cord, so they are very young and healthy. They haven’t been damaged by things in the environment like older stem cells might be. This means they work better and stay healthy longer.
• Your immune system won’t reject them: Even though these cells come from another person, they do not express specific markers required by the immune system to identify them as foreign cells. They don’t get rejected, so your body can use them without any problems.

• No ethical concerns: Umbilical cords are usually thrown away after a baby is born. Using them to obtain stem cells is a safe and ethical choice because it takes advantage of something that would otherwise be wasted.
• No surgery needed: Getting these stem cells doesn’t involve surgery or invasive procedures, making it easier and safer. Other stem cells, like those from bone marrow or fat, need a needle and surgery to collect.
• High quality and high viability. Manufacturing UC-MSC under the right conditions yields many high-quality cells. They have fewer biological variations and more predictable clinical effects. 

 That’s it for today! If you have any questions, you can contact us through social media or at info@rmihealth.com