<P> Adult stem cells, also called somatic (from Greek σωματικóς, "of the body") stem cells, are stem cells which maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found . They can be found in children, as well as adults . </P> <P> Pluripotent adult stem cells are rare and generally small in number, but they can be found in umbilical cord blood and other tissues . Bone marrow is a rich source of adult stem cells, which have been used in treating several conditions including liver cirrhosis, chronic limb ischemia and endstage heart failure . The quantity of bone marrow stem cells declines with age and is greater in males than females during reproductive years . Much adult stem cell research to date has aimed to characterize their potency and self - renewal capabilities . DNA damage accumulates with age in both stem cells and the cells that comprise the stem cell environment . This accumulation is considered to be responsible, at least in part, for increasing stem cell dysfunction with aging (see DNA damage theory of aging). </P> <P> Most adult stem cells are lineage - restricted (multipotent) and are generally referred to by their tissue origin (mesenchymal stem cell, adipose - derived stem cell, endothelial stem cell, dental pulp stem cell, etc .). Muse cells (multi-lineage differentiating stress enduring cells) are a recently discovered pluripotent stem cell type found in multiple adult tissues, including adipose, dermal fibroblasts, and bone marrow . While rare, muse cells are identifiable by their expression of SSEA - 3, a marker for undifferentiated stem cells, and general mesenchymal stem cells markers such as CD105 . When subjected to single cell suspension culture, the cells will generate clusters that are similar to embryoid bodies in morphology as well as gene expression, including canonical pluripotency markers Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog . </P> <P> Adult stem cell treatments have been successfully used for many years to treat leukemia and related bone / blood cancers through bone marrow transplants . Adult stem cells are also used in veterinary medicine to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses . </P>

Where can stem cells be found in human body