Asthma and stem cell therapy

Figure 1 Development and progression and stem cell potency. The figure was drawn by Figdraw. During the earliest embryonic developmental stages, totipotent stem cells, capable of giving rise to any cell type, are present in the zygote during the initial cell divisions following fertilization. With the formation of the blastocyst, stem cells evolve into a pluripotent state, enabling them to differentiate into nearly any cell type, marking a critical step in embryonic development. As development progresses and the primitive streak forms, cells predominantly exhibit multipotent capabilities, restricting their differentiation potential to a narrow array of cell lineages excluding embryonic germ cells. In subsequent developmental phases, stem cells are classified as either ‘embryonic’ or ‘adult,’ reflecting their specific differentiation potentials and roles within an organism’s cellular hierarchy.