Authors: Sydney R. Slattery, Vincent S. Gallicchio.
Menstrual blood is a bodily fluid that consists endometrial cells, and, therefore, contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Over the past few years, these cells have been catching the attention of researchers and medical professionals due to the advantages they hold over alternative stem cell sources, such as the frequent production, pain free collection process, and lack of complex, ethical concerns associated with collecting the fluid. Menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MenSCs), still demonstrate the typical characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, but research has found that they have an even faster rate of replication, as well as an increased proliferation and differentiation potential compared to other stem cell sources. Though MenSCs have been gaining more attention and there is evidence showing that would work well to help slow the progression or cure many diseases, there are still several unanswered questions and the occasional concerning data, which creates a need for further preclinical and clinical research before it is a well-accepted tool in medicine.
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