(2) Placental Sub-Pluripotent Stem Cells (Placental sub-PLURIPOTENT stem cells are a population of sub-pluripotent stem cells derived from newborn placental tissue. They closely resemble embryonic stem cells during the developmental stage and possess the ability to differentiate into tissue cells originating from all three germ layers—ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm—but they cannot form teratomas.)

1. Embryos (Pluripotent stem cells can be extracted from embryos as early as 4–5 weeks of pregnancy. These pluripotent stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into any tissue or organ in the human body. However, because the extraction process involves destroying the embryo, it is subject to strict ethical limitations. Additionally, after being used in therapies, embryonic stem cells carry a risk of causing teratomas.)

2. Bone marrow (Mesenchymal stem cells were initially discovered in bone marrow and have since attracted significant attention due to their multi-directional differentiation potential, ability to support hematopoiesis, promote stem cell engraftment, modulate immune responses, and facilitate self-replication. However, because bone marrow contains only a limited number of stem cells and the extraction process is complex, their long-term storage and widespread clinical applications remain relatively scarce.)

3. Umbilical Cord: Divided into umbilical cord blood stem cells and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

(1) Umbilical cord blood stem cells (derived from the blood remaining in the placenta and umbilical cord after the baby is delivered, the cord is clamped, and cut; primarily used to treat blood-related diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia)

(2) Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (derived from Wharton’s jelly of the umbilical cord; these are multipotent stem cells capable of differentiating into various tissue cell types—such as fat, cartilage, bone, muscle, tendon, nerve, liver, cardiac muscle, and endothelium—under specific conditions).

4. Placenta

(1) Placental mesenchymal stem cells (placental mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that originate from the mesoderm during embryonic development. They are easy to isolate and expand in vitro, exhibiting robust proliferation capabilities—capable of multiplying up to 100 million times while still retaining their multi-directional differentiation potential. These cells are also straightforward to isolate, culture, expand, and purify, maintaining stem cell characteristics even after more than 30 passages. They are primarily used in treating conditions such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, liver and kidney injuries, brain and spinal cord nerve damage, autoimmune disorders, graft-versus-host disease, pulmonary and other tissue/organ fibrosis, and anti-aging therapies.

(2) Placental Sub全能 Stem Cells (Placental sub-PLURIPOTENT stem cells are a population of sub-pluripotent stem cells derived from newborn placental tissue. They closely resemble embryonic stem cells during the developmental stage and possess the ability to differentiate into tissue cells originating from all three germ layers—ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm—but they cannot form teratomas.)

(3) Placental Hematopoietic Stem Cells (Placental hematopoietic stem cells are a population of primitive hematopoietic cells found in placental tissue—they serve as the progenitors of all blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets—and are highly undifferentiated cells). Hematopoietic stem cells derived from placental tissue exhibit lower immunogenicity compared to those from cord blood and peripheral blood. They are primarily used in treating blood-related disorders such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and severe autoimmune diseases.

(4) Placental Maternal Stem Cells (Placental maternal stem cells are derived from the decidual tissue of the placenta and belong to the mesenchymal stem cell family. However, STR analysis reveals that the isolated mesenchymal stem cells originate specifically from the basal decidua of the maternal side of the placenta.) These placenta-derived maternal stem cells have a genotype identical to the mother’s, making them exclusive to the mother and her maternal relatives. They demonstrate remarkable efficacy in applications such as cosmetic treatments, anti-aging therapies, postpartum recovery, and addressing women’s health issues—including conditions like premature ovarian failure and ovarian cancer.

5. Fat tissue (derived from mesenchymal stem cells of adipose tissue, which possess self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation capabilities)—under specific induction conditions, these cells can differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neurons, and more. They hold therapeutic potential for a wide range of conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurological disorders, cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, congenital pulmonary fibrosis, chronic liver injury, acute renal failure, and more. Advantages: Adipose tissue is abundant and readily available, providing a high concentration of stem cells with rapid proliferation rates. Additionally, these cells exhibit low immunogenicity and do not raise ethical concerns in medical applications.

6. Dental pulp (pulp tissue is located within the pulp chamber inside the tooth and represents the only soft tissue component of dental hard tissues). In 2000, Gronthos et al., through their research on human dental pulp cells, identified a cell type with an immune phenotype and the remarkable ability to form mineralized nodules—traits strikingly similar to those of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These cells exhibit a spindle-shaped morphology, possess self-renewal capabilities, and can differentiate into multiple lineages, demonstrating robust clonal expansion potential. Cells isolated from dental pulp tissue—specifically these fibroblast-like cells—are referred to as dental pulp stem cells. Dental pulp stem cells demonstrate significant multi-directional differentiation potential: in addition to forming cells capable of mineralized nodule formation, they can also be induced, via exposure to various cytokines, to differentiate into cell types such as adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, muscle cells, vascular endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and even neural cells. Notably, while dental pulp stem cells are abundant in source, their actual content remains relatively low.