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細胞生醫-認識幹細胞

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- 幹細胞是什麼? -
人類是由數百種不同細胞所組成的複雜生物，有多複雜？數百種不同類型的細胞具有不同的結構、大小、形狀及功能。
人類每日基本的機能運行都是得仰賴這些細胞，像大腦的思考及傳輸指令、心臟的跳動到皮膚的汰換等。

- 為什麼幹細胞對我們很重要? -
當我們受傷或是生病時, 我們體內的細胞也會受傷甚至死亡。
幹細胞獨特的工作就是製造其他種類的細胞，像是供應商也是醫護兵的概念。
它會修補受損的身體組織並且更新死亡的細胞，如此幹細胞才得以使我們保持健康並且防止老化。

幹細胞（Stem Cell）是一種原始未分化的細胞，具有自我更新及再生各種細胞、組織器官的潛能，在條件下能分化成特定的組織細胞。
存在於人體所有細胞、組織器官內，經由有絲分裂與分化變成各種不同功能的細胞及組織，而且可以利用自我更新來提供更多幹細胞。

幹細胞因具有以上這些特性，可用來修補受損的組織或器官，甚至還可以建構出完整的器官。一開始只是一顆受精卵，卻可以演變成這麼多不同種細胞：

- 幹細胞的種類 -

1.全能幹細胞：

卵子和精子結合產生受精卵後，受精卵分裂成16個細胞，而受精卵在形成胚胎過程中每一個細胞皆是萬能幹細胞，具有發展成獨立個體的能力，可分化成身體任何細胞或者分化成胚胎，所以也被稱之為胚胎幹細胞。
但胚胎幹細胞存在爭議議題, 故政府規定臨床無法使用!

2.萬能幹細胞：

分化的過程，萬能幹細胞會再演變成全能幹細胞。
它們無法發育成一個體，但具有分化多種細胞組織的潛能，如：神經系統、循環及呼吸系統。

3.多功能幹細胞：

繼續分化下去稱之為多能幹細胞，而多能幹細胞只可分化成特定組織或器官等特定族群的細胞。
包含了間質幹細胞及造血幹細胞：
造血細胞能分化成血球細胞或免疫細胞。
間質幹細胞能分化脂肪、骨骼、肌肉及神經細胞。因為使用上較為安全也具有相當的效果，間質幹細胞逐漸成為臨床應用與研究的主流。

- What are stem cells? -

Stem cell is a kind of primitive undifferentiated cells, which has the potential of self-renewal and regeneration of various cells, tissues and organs, and can differentiate into specific tissue cells under certain conditions.

It exists in all cells, tissues and organs of the human body, which can become cells and tissues with different functions through mitosis and differentiation and can provide more stem cells by self-renewal. Because of these characteristics, stem cells can be used to repair damaged tissues or organs, and even construct complete organs.

It starts as a fertilized egg, but it can evolve into many kinds of cells as below:

1.Totipotent stem cell:

After the egg and sperm combine to a fertilized egg, the fertilized egg divides into 16 cells. In the process of forming an embryo, each cell is a universal stem cell, which has the ability to develop into an independent individual and can differentiate into any cell of our body or into an embryo, so it is also called embryonic stem cell. However, there are controversial issues about embryonic stem cells, and it cannot be used in clinic!

2.Pluripotent stem cell:

In the following process of differentiation, totipotent stem cell will evolve into pluripotent stem cell, which cannot develop into an individual, but have the potential to differentiate into a variety of cellular tissues, such as the nervous system, circulatory and respiratory systems. It can differentiate into many types of cells, but it can't differentiate into all the cells that constitute a complete individual.

3.Multipotent stem cell:

If they continue to differentiate, these cells are called multipotent stem cells, which can only differentiate into specific groups of cells such as specific tissues or organs, including mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells. The former can differentiate into fat, bone, muscle and nerve cells, and the latter can differentiate into blood cells or immune cells. Because it is safe and effective, it has gradually become the mainstream of clinical application and research.