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human somatic stem cells

Cells that are collected from humans or cells that are derived from such cells through cell division and that possess multipotency and maintain the ability to self-renew or a similar ability. In other words, tissue stem cells (e.g., hematopoietic stem cells, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells [including bone marrow stromal stem cells and adipose-tissue-derived stem cells], corneal stem cells, skin stem cells, hair follicle stem cells, intestinal stem cells, hepatic stem cells, and skeletal muscle stem cells) or cell groups that have abundant populations of these cells (e.g., whole-bone-marrow cells that include hematopoietic stem cells), including vascular precursor cells,umbilical cord blood, and bone marrow stromal cells.

"Human somatic stem cells" also include cells obtained by culturing these cells in vitro. Human embryonic stem (ES) cells, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, human induced pluripotent stem-like (iPS-like) cells, human embryonic germ (EG) cells, human multipotent germline stem (mGS) cells, human parthenogenesis stem cells, human nuclear transplant stem cells, human cancer cells, human cancer stem cells, and cells derived from these cells are not included.

(Note: The definitions of human ES cells, human iPS cells, and human iPS-like cells are provided in other guidelines, particularly, in "Guidelines on Ensuring the Quality and Safety of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Derived from the Processing of Human ES Cells" and "Guidelines on Ensuring the Quality and Safety of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Derived from the Processing of Allogeneic/Autologous Human iPS(-like) Cells," respectively.)