From the Classification of Stem Cells to the Release of Potential in Cell Therapies: Limits, Considerations and Future Aspects in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Regenerative medicine aims to repair organs or tissues that have congenital abnormalities, or that have been damaged by disease, aging, or trauma, and to restore or at least improve their native function. One of the strategies used in regenerative medicine is stem cell therapy, due to the enormous regenerative potential of stem cells. A staminal cell line is a group of cells that can replicate for an extended period in vitro, that is outside the body. These cells are grown in incubators using a culture medium that should have a temperature and an oxygen/carbon dioxide composition that simulates the desired environment. This chapter describes the main characteristics of stem cells, the main fields of application, and outlines what could be the future developments of their use, also considering the ethical and technical problems that currently limit their use. There is still much to be done in the field of stem cell research, and researchers are working tirelessly to remain leaders and innovators in it. A struggle, step by step, will make it possible to have more information on current knowledge by expanding the scientific literature and push current limits ever further.