Harvesting multipotent progenitor cells from a small sample of tonsillar biopsy for clinical applications

Background Human adult stem cells hold the potential for the cure of numerous conditions and degenerative diseases. They possess major advantages over pluripotent stem cells as they can be derived from donors at any age, and therefore pose no ethical concerns or risk of teratoma tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, they have a natural ability to differentiate and secrete factors that promote tissue healing without genetic manipulation. However, at present, clinical applications of adult stem cells are limited by a shortage of a reliable, standardized, and easily accessible tissue source which does not rely on specimens discarded from unrelated surgical procedures.