What are pluripotent stem cells?

Pluripotent stem cells are cells that have both the ability to proliferate almost indefinitely (self-renewal) and the ability to differentiate into any cell types that constitute the human body (pluripotency). Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are known as pluripotent stem cells.

Incidentally, the body also contains somatic stem cells, which are important for the continuous maintenance of specific tissues and organs. Somatic stem cells are stem cells that continue to replace cells that are disappearing in specific tissues and organs. Unlike pluripotent stem cells, somatic stem cells can differentiate into only a limited number of cell types and divide a limited number of times. Typical somatic stem cells include hematopoietic stem cells, neural stem cells and epithelial stem cells.