At Beyer Stem Cell Institute in Tinley Park, we talk about the ways that stem cell therapy can help with pain relief and encourage cells to regenerate and heal. But if you don’t know what stem cells are, it can be hard to delve into the ways stem cell therapy works.
Today, we are going back to basics to discuss what stem cells are, where they come from, and how they work.
If you’re ready to try stem cell therapy for yourself, make sure you choose Beyer Stem Cell Institute, whether you’re located in Tinley Park, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Naperville, Bourbonnais, Schererville, or any of the surrounding areas. If you have some questions for Dr. Ed Beyer, make sure you register for one of our local stem cell therapy seminars today!
An Introduction to Stem Cells
Stem cells are raw materials found in our bodies. In fact, stem cells are responsible for dividing and creating many different types of cells. This gives stem cells the ability to encourage the body to grow and regenerate in the body, both as the body grows and as cells and tissues in the body are damaged.
Stem cells are important because they are unspecialized cells that have the ability to renew themselves using their regenerative properties. In addition, when stem cells are manipulated, they can be made to become a certain tissue to help replace or restore damaged tissues in your body. For example, manipulation can cause stem cells to become specialized brain cells, blood cells, and muscle cells.
Where Stem Cells Come from
When it comes to stem cells, there are two main sources where they can be found: embryos and adult body tissues. But there are a variety of places and stages where stem cells can be found, including manipulating cells in a laboratory.
Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells can be found throughout the body. As you live, your body constantly works to renew its tissues where stem cells work to divide and create new body tissue. This is part of the maintenance and repair your body does to keep you healthy. These stem cells can be found in different tissues in the adult body, including in:
- Bone marrow
- The brain
- Blood vessels
- The liver
- Skeletal muscles
But, it can be hard to find stem cells in the adult body. In addition to that, as your body gets older, these stem cells have a more limited ability to create new cells in the body.
Embryonic Stem Cells
These stem cells are found in the embryo. Since these stem cells are so young, they have the ability to differentiate (or divide) into any type of cell. The word for this ability is called pluripotent.
This source of stem cells is what has caused the most controversy over the years — and is not where Beyer Stem Cell Institute gets our stem cells from. Additionally, it is incredibly expensive to culture and use these stem cells.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)
These stem cells come from the connective tissue — or stroma — that surrounds tissues and other organs in the blood. These stem cells can help create new body tissues, like cartilage, bone, and fat cells. MSCs are found in bone marrow in addition to fat and umbilical cord blood.
These MSCs are the stem cells used at Beyer Stem Cell Institute. Since they are multipotent stem cells — meaning they can develop into different types of cells — they work as messengers to tell your body to heal itself and regenerate its cells. This means that the MSCs themselves are not making new cells, just promoting other cells to grow.
But as we get older, the amount of MSCs present in our body dwindles, which is why it becomes hard for our bodies to regenerate after injuries or as we age. However, umbilical cord stem cells contain these MSCs cells.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS)
These stem cells are created in a laboratory by scientists using skin cells and other tissue-specific cells. Once these cells are manipulated, they behave similar to embryonic stem cells in that they can develop into a wide variety of stem cells.
In the lab, scientists can stimulate the stem cells to specialize in a certain way — called directed differentiation — controlling what the stem cell turns into.
Sign up for our Stem Cell Therapy Seminar
When you know what stem cells are, you can better understand how they can be used to help your body heal and regenerate.That’s why, at Beyer Stem Cell Institute in Tinley Park, we are committed to providing stem cell therapy that helps reduce pain, inflammation, and the effects of aging. We also offer our local stem cell therapy seminar if you want to learn more about stem cells and whether they could be the right treatment option for your condition.