Células madre, una nueva alternativa médica

Stem cells are known for their capacity for self-renewal and produce various cell lines (cell differentiation). Due to these 2 factors, stem cells are classified according to their potential in totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and unipotent stem cells, and according to their site of origin are classified as induced embryonic, adult, and pluripotent stem cells. The scientific and medical advances in the study of stem cells has generated considerable interest in society, due to the variety of cells that can be generated for a wide range of medical treatments, ranging from the cure of diabetes mellitus, to cell therapies for neural diseases. The following literature review aims to present an overview of the research and medical application of stem cells, highlighting some of the diseases which stem cell therapy could offer new areas of medical and scientific research and new hope for patients.