Stem Cell and Research in Plastic Surgery

Regenerative medicine using stem cells has progressed significantly over the last decade. Plastic surgeons historically have used tissues of human being to restore various defect sites and utilized a single cell lines for the tissue regeneration. The cell sources (autologous or allogeneic), cell types (embryonic stem cell or adult stem cell), and source of tissues (bone marrow, muscle, adipose, cartilage, or blood) are very important for stem cell-based tissue coverage. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent precursors obtained from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and reported to be used for preventing muscle atrophy after peripheral nerve injury. Multipotent adult stem cells are easily accessed for plastic surgeons during many routine procedures. This article briefly review the current state of overall stem cell research and clinical applications in the plastic surgical field.