Though cell therapy is a recent innovation, with the first therapies approved by FDA in 2017, the use of human cells has been a standard of care for decades in hematology and oncology (1). A cell therapy can be derived from a variety of sources, including hematopoietic, skeletal muscle, neural, and mesenchymal stem cells (i.e., adult stem cells that differentiate into structures such as connective tissues, blood, lymphatics, bone, and cartilage). Lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and pancreatic islet cells can also function as source cells.
