Pluripotent Stem Cells

This chapter focuses on the different types of pluripotent stem cells isolated from embryonic tissues, or produced from somatic cells by reprogramming with pluripotency transcription factors. The primary goal is to introduce the reader to the main types of stem cells and provide basic knowledge on the subject. Following a brief history, described are the main characteristics, methodologies, and potential uses of these cells in biotechnology or biomedicine. Another group of stem cells that are isolated from somatic tissues, termed somatic stem cells, are not included in the category of pluripotent cells and are therefore beyond the scope of this review.