Stem cells treatment

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide to produce more stem cells.

There are three known accessible sources of autologous adult stem cells in humans:

• Bone marrow, which requires extraction by harvesting, that is, drilling into bone (typically the femur or iliac crest).
• Adipose tissue (lipid cells), which requires extraction by liposuction.
• Blood, which requires extraction through, apheresis, wherein blood is drawn from the donor (similar to a blood donation), and passed through a machine that extracts the stem cells and returns other portions of the blood to the donor.

Stem cells can also be taken from umbilical cord blood just after birth. Of all stem cell types, autologous harvesting involves the least risk. By definition, autologous cells are obtained from one's own body, just as one may bank his or her own blood for elective surgical procedures.