Stem Cells: A Historical Review about Biological, Religious, and Ethical Issues

Figure 2

The origin, the collection process, and the plasticity of stem cells: after fertilization of the natural oocyte or in vitro the pluripotent embryonic stem cells are created as internal cell mass inside a blastocyst. The stem cells show that their range of potential is wide and that cells of one tissue can, under experimental conditions and with appropriate culture cell, reprogram to mature cells in another, different tissue from which they come from. So, they can function as multiples. This is called plasticity and is the basis of cell therapy. Fetal stem cells are found within the organs of the fetus. To this source belongs the embryonic corpse tissue (which can be obtained after a spontaneous abortion due to illness, etc.) and afterwards with the appropriate culture, reprogrammed and functioning such as multipotent cells.