Table 1.
Comparison of the properties of cells used in regenerative medicine.
| ESC | iPSC | HSC/MSC | EPC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Embryo | Transgenic somatic cells | Adult tissues | Adult tissues |
| Differential potential | Pluripotent | Pluripotent | Multipotent | Unipotent |
| Differentiated cells | All cells | All cells | Limited types of cells | Vascular endothelial cells |
| Proliferation potential | Very high | Very high | Not high | Low |
| Allogenic/Autologous | Allogenic | Both | Both | Autologous |
| Rejection | Possible | •Allogenic: Possible •Autologous: Unlikely |
•Allogenic: Possible •Autologous: Impossible |
Impossible |
| Ethical issues | Many | Few | None | None |
| Clinical issues | Risk of tumorigenesis, Instability of supply | Risk of tumorigenesis, Difficulty in quality control | Nothing particular | Nothing particular |
| Clinical application status | None | Under clinical trial | Widespread | Under clinical trial |
ESC, embryonic stem cell; iPSC, induced pluripotent stem cell; HSC, hematopoietic stem cell; MSC, mesenchymal stem cell; EPC, endothelial progenitor cell.