VetCell

Overview

VetCell’s mission is:

· To pioneer the veterinary application of stem cell technologies in association with leading research establishments, and

· To provide a professional and high quality stem cell service to the world’s veterinary surgeons and their patients.

Stem Cell Technology

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special functions such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Each has different functions and characteristics.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro. While much promise has been bestowed on embryonic stem cells, there is very little information on how these cells will work in the adult environment and the study of embryonic stem cells is 5 to 10 years behind that of adult stem cells. Currently, there are no clinical trials being conducted to evaluate an embryonic stem cell product but the debate over ethical issues continues to keep embryonic stem cells in the news.

An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. It can renew itself and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Some scientists now use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (the inner cell mass of the blastocyst), the origin of adult stem cells in mature tissues is unknown.

Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led scientists to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult blood forming stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 30 years. Certain kinds of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, given the right conditions. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases.

The history of research on adult stem cells began about 40 years ago. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called mesenchymal stem cells (or bone marrow stromal cells), was discovered a few years later. Mesechymal Stem Cells are a mixed cell population that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue.

Adult stem cells occur in many tissues and they enter normal differentiation pathways to form the specialized cell types of the tissue in which they reside. Adult stem cells also exhibit the ability to form specialized cell types of other tissues, which is known as transdifferentiation or plasticity.

Normal differentiation pathways of adult stem cells. In a living animal, adult stem cells can divide for a long period and can give rise to mature cell types that have characteristic shapes and specialized structures and functions of a particular tissue. The following are examples of differentiation pathways of adult stem cells:

· Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the types of blood cells: red blood cells, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, and platelets.

· Bone marrow stromal cells (mesenchymal stem cells) give rise to a variety of cell types: bone cells (osteocytes), cartilage cells (chondrocytes), fat cells (adipocytes), and other kinds of connective tissue cells such as those in tendons.

Today and for the foreseeable future, adult stem cells provide many advantages over embryonic stem cells when it comes to exploring potential applications and developing cellular therapeutics. Aside from avoiding political distractions, adult stem cells provide practical advantages. Adult stem cells are designed by nature to perform tissue repair in developmentally mature individuals.


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		Overview VetCell’s mission is: · To pioneer the veterinary application of stem cell technologies in association with leading research establishments, and · To provide a professional and high quality stem cell service to the world’s veterinary surgeons and their patients. Stem Cell Technology Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special functions such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Each has different functions and characteristics. Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro. While much promise has been bestowed on embryonic stem cells, there is very little information on how these cells will work in the adult environment and the study of embryonic stem cells is 5 to 10 years behind that of adult stem cells. Currently, there are no clinical trials being conducted to evaluate an embryonic stem cell product but the debate over ethical issues continues to keep embryonic stem cells in the news. An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. It can renew itself and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Some scientists now use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (the inner cell mass of the blastocyst), the origin of adult stem cells in mature tissues is unknown. Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led scientists to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult blood forming stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 30 years. Certain kinds of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, given the right conditions. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases. The history of research on adult stem cells began about 40 years ago. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called mesenchymal stem cells (or bone marrow stromal cells), was discovered a few years later. Mesechymal Stem Cells are a mixed cell population that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue. Adult stem cells occur in many tissues and they enter normal differentiation pathways to form the specialized cell types of the tissue in which they reside. Adult stem cells also exhibit the ability to form specialized cell types of other tissues, which is known as transdifferentiation or plasticity. Normal differentiation pathways of adult stem cells. In a living animal, adult stem cells can divide for a long period and can give rise to mature cell types that have characteristic shapes and specialized structures and functions of a particular tissue. The following are examples of differentiation pathways of adult stem cells: · Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the types of blood cells: red blood cells, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, and platelets. · Bone marrow stromal cells (mesenchymal stem cells) give rise to a variety of cell types: bone cells (osteocytes), cartilage cells (chondrocytes), fat cells (adipocytes), and other kinds of connective tissue cells such as those in tendons. Today and for the foreseeable future, adult stem cells provide many advantages over embryonic stem cells when it comes to exploring potential applications and developing cellular therapeutics. Aside from avoiding political distractions, adult stem cells provide practical advantages. Adult stem cells are designed by nature to perform tissue repair in developmentally mature individuals.