Various stem cells in acupuncture meridians and points and their putative roles
Jeanne Adiwinata Pawitan
Key takeaways
Acupuncture points may be linked to a microscopic vascular network containing stem cells that could support tissue repair and regeneration.
Traditional Chinese and Korean medicine uses various manipulations on acupuncture points/acupoints that are located along imaginary lines on the surface of a human body, which are called 'meridians'. Acupuncture has been used from the ancient time till now to cure various diseases, including for the purpose of regenerative medicine. In various studies, meridians are alternatively called as Bong-Han ducts, primo vessels, or hyaluronic-acid rich ducts, while acupoints are called Bong-Han corpuscles, primo nodes, or hyaluronic-acid rich nodes. Meridians and acupuncture points form a system that is now called primo vascular system (PVS), which is claimed to contain various kinds of stem cells. The stem cell size is between 1-5 microns. The smallest is the primo microcells that have a putative role in regeneration. Other stem cells are adult pluripotent and hematopoietic stem cells that play a role in extra bone marrow hematopoiesis. The presence of PVS has been reproduced by many studies. However, the various stem cells need further studies to prove their existence and function, and harvesting PVS to isolate the stem cells might harm the health of the donor.
The first episode of the English podcast “The Fascia Guide”. The Fascia Guide is a podcast about the living body, about new research and a new perspective on health, pain and what…
The episode was first published on the Swedish podcast Fasciaguiden on June 5, 2025. In this thought-provoking conversation, we meet Dr. Neil Theise — liver pathologist, fascia re…