Adult stem cells are unfifferentiated cells found among specialised or differentiated cells in a tissue or organ after birth. They appear to be restricted in their capability of producing different cell types and of undergoing self-renewal, as compared to embryonic stem cells. Based on current research, adult stem cells may serve as a source for tissue repair, e.g. for regeneration of damaged heart tissue, or for repair of eroded cartilage in rheumatoid arthritis.
After isolating the cells they were characterised by:
- Positive markers (e.g. CD105)
- Negative markers (MAC-1, CD14, CD19, CD34, CD45, HLA-DR)
As additional measure of quality assurance, the stem cell differentiation to desired lineages was tested:
- chondrogenesis
- osteogenesis
- adipogenesis