Role of Chinese medicine in stem cell for tissue regeneration

Adult stem cells play a crucial role in tissue renewal and regeneration. Adult stem cells located in certain organs can differentiate into functional entities such as macrophages and bone cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are two of the most important populations of adult stem cells. They are also capable to travel through the circulation, migrate to injury sites and differentiate to enhance regeneration process. Chinese medicine (CM) has shown to be potential candidates to activate adult stem cells for tissue regeneration. The activation of adult stem cells self-regeneration not only provides a novel way to repair tissue damage, but also reduces the use of targeted drug that adversely altering the normal metabolism of human subjects.