STEM CELLS ARE unspecialized cells that possess properties such as self—renewal, high potential for proliferation, and the ability to become a variety of cell types in the body. Self—renewal is the process of generating more stem cells. Differentiation is the process of becoming different cell types. Embryonic stem cells are isolated from very early stage embryos that possess the ability to develop into all different cell types in an individual. Adult stem cells, in contrast, are isolated from specific tissues that can only differentiate into cell types in that specific tissue under normal conditions. However, in rare occasions, the adult stem cells can become cell types of other tissues—a phenomenon known as transdifferentiation.

Markers of sternness are special properties and molecular signatures that distinguish stem cells ...