Question: What are Pluripotent stem cells?

Sharon Sneddon answered on 14 Mar 2011:

Pluripotent stem cells are able to form most of the body’s cell types, which is over 200 cell types! These cells are like totipotent stem cells (see answer on totipotent cells) in that they can give rise to all tissue types. Unlike totipotent stem cells, however, they cannot give rise to an entire organism. On the fourth or fifth day of development, the human embryo forms into two layers, an an outer layer which will become the placenta, and an inner mass which will form the tissues of the developing human body. These inner cells, though they can form nearly any human tissue, cannot do so without the outer layer; so are not totipotent, but pluripotent. As these pluripotent stem cells continue to divide, they begin to specialise further.

Embryonic stem cells are an example of pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells provide a chance to obtain a renewable source of healthy cells and tissues to treat a wide array of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Burn victims and those who suffer from autoimmune diseases such as Parkinson’s can all potentially benefit from the use of pluripotent stem cells.

Hope this makes sense!