Very Small Embryonic Like Stem Cells (VSELs)
Biohellenika offers a new stem cell collection and storage service from cord blood, the VSELs, after a long-term effort by its Research and Development Department. Thus, the company overcomes the storage of whole cord blood, which aims to maintain VSELs, and offers the storage of VSELs as an independent service, ready for use.
The cord blood except the hematopoietic stem cells, contains another more primitive cell population, the second in hierarchy during evolution, that is named Very Small Embryonic Like Stem cells-VSELs). These cells are very small in size and because of that, using the conventional protocols they were lost during the hematopoietic collection. VSELs are suitable only for the child (autologous use) and this is one of the privileges that offers, among others, the private cord blood banking. From this cell population different cell lines were created in order to use for tissue and organ regeneration, in the case of their failure. Their presence in the cord blood gives new perspective in Regenerative Medicine beyond of hematology. Until now from VSELs created cardiomyocytes, lung covering epithelium, oocytes and sperm and in co culture with cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells they produce hematopoietic stem cells very useful in hematopoietic transplantations.
VSELs are a new stem cell population in the cord blood, but the most primitive, and may be is the missing puzzle in cellular therapies.