Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. All stem cells have three general attributes: they can divide and renew themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types.

When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, differentiation occurs. During the process of differentiation, cells go through several stages, becoming more specialized at each step. Stem cells differentiate into specific cell types and thus show therapeutic promise as a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat numerous diseases including spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, neurodegenerative disease, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. 

ATCC understands the need for credible cultures for your research. We have provided stem cell resources to the research community for more than a decade, with a growing portfolio of cultures to choose from, including mouse embryonic stem cells, human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), human neural progenitor cells (NPCs), and human iPS cells. ATCC has also developed complete cell culture solutions to support human MSCs, NPCs, and iPS cells.