STEM CELLS are a kind of generic protype cell that the body makes
that can become any kind of cell. This allows the body to make
whatever type of tissue that it needs at the time. They could become,
muscles, viens, bone or even nerve and brain cells.

This is one of the studies that show the importance of FUCOIDAN that
is in Limu moui.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LIMU_MOUI/join

Blood 2002 Jan 1;99(1):44-51 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Sulfated polysaccharides increase plasma levels of SDF-1 in monkeys
and mice: involvement in mobilization of stem/progenitor cells.
Sweeney EA, Lortat-Jacob H, Priestley GV, Nakamoto B, Papayannopoulou
T.
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7710,
USA. thalp@...
It was previously reported that treatment with the sulfated
polysaccharide fucoidan or the structurally similar dextran sulfate
increased circulating mature white blood cells and hematopoietic
progenitor/stem cells (HPCs) in mice and nonhuman primates; however,
the mechanism mediating these effects was unclear. It is reported
here that plasma concentrations of the highly potent chemoattractant
stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) increase rapidly and dramatically
after treatment with fucoidan in monkeys and in mice, coinciding with
decreased levels in bone marrow. In vitro and in vivo data suggest
that the SDF-1 increase is due to its competitive displacement from
heparan sulfate proteoglycans that sequester the chemokine on
endothelial cell surfaces or extracellular matrix in bone marrow and
other tissues. Although moderately increased levels of interleukin-8,
MCP1, or MMP9 were also present after fucoidan treatment, studies in
gene-ablated mice (GCSFR(-/-), MCP1(-/-), or MMP9(-/-)) and the use
of metalloprotease inhibitors do not support their involvement in the
concurrent mobilization. Instead, SDF-1 increases, uniquely
associated with sulfated glycan-mobilizing treatments and not with
several other mobilizing agents tested, are likely responsible. To
the authors' knowledge, this is the first published report of
disrupting the SDF-1 gradient between bone marrow and peripheral
blood through a physiologically relevant mechanism, resulting in
mobilization with kinetics similar to other mobilizing CXC
chemokines. The study further underscores the importance of the
biological roles of carbohydrates.
PMID: 11756151 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]