---
title: "What is the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells?"
url: "https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-adult-stem-cells-and-embryonic-stem-cells"
type: "question"
language: "en"
intent: "informational"
entity: "Adult Stem Cell"
topic: "SVF & Adipose-derived Cells"
published: "2026-09-18 06:21:20"
updated: "2026-10-08 09:18:06"
---

# What is the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells?

## Short answer

The main difference is potency. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and can give rise to nearly all of the body's cell types. Adult stem cells are generally multipotent or unipotent, so they make only the cell types of their own tissue. Adult stem cells come from mature tissues such as bone marrow, skin or the cornea. Blood stem cell transplantation, which uses adult stem cells, is an established therapy.

## Answer

Adult stem cells are tissue-restricted and range from multipotent to unipotent [2]. Blood stem cell transplantation has been used for more than 50 years [12].

### Stem cells in cosmetic surgery

In cosmetic surgery, "stem cell" procedures almost always use [adipose-derived stem cells](/entity/adipose-derived-stem-cell). The stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which contains them, is separated from liposuctioned fat and mixed into the fat being grafted, as in [stem cell breast augmentation](/entity/stem-cell-breast-augmentation) and [stem cell fat grafting](/entity/stem-cell-fat-grafting).

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## Sources

1. [Adult Stem Cells – Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223693/) — National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (National Academies Press, via NCBI Bookshelf) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/106
2. [Multipotent to Pluripotent Properties of Adult Stem Cells](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3876920/) — Stem Cells International (Hindawi), via PubMed Central · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/107
3. [Adult stem cells and their trans-differentiation potential—perspectives and therapeutic applications](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2954191/) — Journal of Molecular Medicine (Hombach-Klonisch et al.), via PubMed Central · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/108
4. [Minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16923606/) — Cytotherapy 8(4):315-317 (Dominici et al.) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/109
5. [Continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access to hematopoietic cell transplantation: activity has doubled in a decade with a notable increase in unrelated and non-identical related donors](https://haematologica.org/article/view/haematol.2024.285002) — Haematologica (Atsuta et al.) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/110
6. [One and a half million hematopoietic stem cell transplants: continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access with the use of non-identical family donors (Niederwieser D, et al., Haematologica 107(5):1045-1053)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9052915/) — Haematologica · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/98
7. [FDA approves remestemcel-L-rknd for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease in pediatric patients](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-remestemcel-l-rknd-steroid-refractory-acute-graft-versus-host-disease-pediatric) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/111
8. [Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/consumers-biologics/consumer-alert-regenerative-medicine-products-including-stem-cells-and-exosomes) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/112
9. [Patient and Consumer Warning about Potential Serious Risks of Harm following Use of Unapproved Products from Human Cells or Tissues](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/patient-and-consumer-warning-about-potential-serious-risks-harm-following-use-unapproved-products) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/113
10. [First stem-cell therapy recommended for approval in EU (press release)](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/press-release/first-stem-cell-therapy-recommended-approval-eu_en.pdf) — European Medicines Agency · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/114
11. [Holoclar – EPAR](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/holoclar) — European Medicines Agency · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/115
12. [Stem Cell Resources for Patients](https://www.isscr.org/patients) — International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/99