Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine: A Journey from Adult Stem Cells to Induced Pluripotent Cells

Regenerative medicine is the branch of medicine that aims to repair and regenerate damaged tissues and presents promising avenues for addressing a wide range of currently incurable diseases. Regenerative medicine is based on the use of cell therapy with stem cells that can differentiate into differentiated cells of specific tissues. There are various types of stem cells, which are different in potential and derivation. The aim of this review is to summarize the types of stem cells most studied and recently discovered, from adult stem cells to innovative induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), for regenerative medicine purposes. The stem cells involved in the identification of new regenerative therapeutic approaches are analyzed here through a classification based on the tissues’ embryonic derivation: stem cells from ectodermal derivation tissues, stem cells from mesodermal derivation tissues, stem cells from endodermal derivation tissues, and iPSCs.