Dr. Joy Kong explains how a fertilized egg, the original stem cell, gradually loses its ability to become anything as it develops into specialized cells like heart tissue. Stem cell therapy can intervene at any point in this process, using cells that still retain the capacity to become what's needed. You once were that single, totipotent egg.
Fertilized egg is the first stem cell, the quintessential stem cell. And everywhere when it starts to divide, it can divide into all kinds of further differentiated cells with more properties and start to form this incredible structure, the embryo. So until the embryo is able to form the first organ, we know all about the beating heart. That means the heart is working. That means those muscle, heart muscle cells are working cells. Cells. They actually formed an organ that has a function. It's a long journey to get to that working cell. So you can imagine there are a thousand shades of gray of stem cells until it becomes a working cell. As stem cell therapy, we can intercept anywhere along that line. We can take one of those cells knowing that this one cell has the ability to trigger or to even become the cells of that the end organ cells. You were once a fertilized egg. So you don't remember when you were that tiny and that powerless, right? But you were full of incredible, miraculous power within you.
