Stem cells are simple cells with a specialized function. They are found in almost all tissues in the human body. Stem cells can easily make copies of themselves and are known as self-renewing for this reason. Most importantly, stem cells have the ability to become or “differentiate” into many different types of cells. Once they have chosen a cell type, they will start to express the genes specific to that cell type, change shape, and make certain cellular components that make them specialized.

Stem Cells Used For Tissue Engineering

Regenerative therapy, often associated with tissue engineering, uses stem cells to help replace damaged cells. Let’s say, for example, the DNA in the nucleus of a cell becomes mutated. This cell will often continue to divide, but it can then pass on the mutation to future cells. This is how damage can spread throughout a tissue. This is where stem cells come in. Stem cells can be introduced into the body to go in and replace the mutated cells with healthy, functioning cells.