Functional Multipotency of Stem Cells: What Do We Need from Them in the Heart?

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the functional potency of stem cells. (a) Totipotent cells are present in the embryo until the 8-cell stage. They can generate all cells of the organism and even a whole new individual if provided with appropriate maternal support. (b) Pluripotent cells reside in the internal cell mass of the blastocyst. During the life of the embryo and as tissues differentiate, pluripotency extinguishes. They can differentiate into multiple-cell types representative of all 3 embryonic germ layers. (c) Once the organism is formed, multipotent cells are present in all tissues, committed to ectodermic, mesodermic, or endodermic differentiations. The turning arrow indicates the clonogenic self-renewal capacity of stem cells.