title: Fetal stem cell: from research to clinical use.
abstract: The discovery of new sources of stem cells over the past few years has raised the expectation that stem cells may in the future provide new biological therapies for a number of diseases, the incredible potential for substituting damaged or lacking cells, tissues, and even organs. A number of stem cell types have been identified, including bone marrow stem cells, embryonal stem cells, and fetal stem cell including umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells. The UCB contains a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells that can be used to reconstitute the blood system and can easily be extracted and cryopreserved, thus allowing for the establishment of HLA-typed stem cell banks. UCB have also the potential to give rise to non-hematopoietic cells, such as bone, neural and endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University.
authors.forename: Teera
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wacharaprechanont
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D053686:Fetal Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy