Stem Cells For Therapeutic Purposes Research Articles

Odontogenic stem cells and their prospects in practical use (literature review)

Objective. To analyze the latest literature data on the possibilities of using stem cells of odontogenic origin in the practice of regenerative medicine.Material and methods. The bibliosemantic method was applied, and the structural-logical analysis of the received data was carried out. Electronic databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and EMBASE were used for modern scientific literature searching by keywords «regenerative medicine», «regenerative dentistry», «dental mesenchymal stem cells», «stem cell therapy», «dental pulp stem cells».Results. Stem cells derived from the maxillofacial area differ in origin, differential activity and obtaining source. These cell populations have significant potential for cell line differentiation. It is possible to establish their origin by identifying the expression of stem cell markers during the process of receiving a new pure culture. Scientific research in the field of regenerative medicine has shown that the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes has a positive therapeutic effect on the illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, and dental diseases of various etiologies. However, further studies of the possibilities to use these cells during the stages of clinical trials remain relevant.Conclusions. To sum up, based on the literature’s analysis, there is a significant interest in scientific and practical medicine for stem cells of odontogenic origin because there are perspectives for their use both in dentistry and in other branches of medicine.

Knowledge and Attitude toward the Therapeutic Potential of Human Amnion Stem Cells among Students of Taif University, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Background: Among the various types of stem cells which have been suggested for therapeutic purposes, human amnion epithelial cells (hAEC) are highly promising. Purpose: This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the Taif University population toward the therapeutic potential of hAEC. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among the students of Taif University. A self-administrated questionnaire was used in this descriptive study. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, knowledge, and attitudes regarding stem cells and hAEC. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS-IBM 25. Results: Out of 1026 subjects, 908 (88.6%) were female, 686 (66.9%) from the age group of less than 25 years, 984 (96%) Saudi nationals, and 834 (81.45%) were undergraduate students. Unfortunately, 35% of the subjects in this study have no idea about stem cells and 55% have never heard about hAEC. Only a moderate level of knowledge score was noticed among the participants about stem cells. Significantly (P=0.001) high percentage of females would like to conserve their human amniotic epithelial cells for family or for research purposes. More than 88% of the subjects would like to have awareness programs in the community about human amniotic epithelial cells. The knowledge and attitude scores were shown to have a substantial positive association. Conclusion: As a result of this research, it is suggested that various stem cell educational programs and awareness campaigns need to be implemented in universities in order to improve stem cell knowledge and encourage a more positive attitude toward the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes. Key words: Human amniotic epithelial cells, Knowledge, Attitude, Taif University, Awareness campaigns.

Freedom of Scientific Research and Embryo Protection Under Italian and European Court of Human Rights' Jurisprudence. Brief European Legislation Overview.

The paper addresses the issues of admissibility of human embryo research and the legal protection to be recognized, in light of the growing importance that scientific research has been gaining in the clinical and biomedical fields of embryonic stem cells for therapeutic purposes. As for human embryo experimentation, particularly on cryopreserved supernumerary embryos, European legislation varies, since the European Court has granted member States a wide margin of appreciation. Some countries, including Italy, have strict legislation protecting embryos from the fertilisation stage, whereas others have taken permissive approaches, allowing experimentation until 14 days after fertilisation. Science, however, has shown that the 14-day limit can be moved. The author finds it necessary to achieve broad international consensus and shared regulations. Lawmakers, however, need to balance respect for the principle of life, represented by the embryo, against scientific needs, in order to devise sound regulations safeguarding both apparently conflicting fundamental values.

Human muscle-derived CLEC14A-positive cells regenerate muscle independent of PAX7

Skeletal muscle stem cells, called satellite cells and defined by the transcription factor PAX7, are responsible for postnatal muscle growth, homeostasis and regeneration. Attempts to utilize the regenerative potential of muscle stem cells for therapeutic purposes so far failed. We previously established the existence of human PAX7-positive cell colonies with high regenerative potential. We now identified PAX7-negative human muscle-derived cell colonies also positive for the myogenic markers desmin and MYF5. These include cells from a patient with a homozygous PAX7 c.86-1G > A mutation (PAX7null). Single cell and bulk transcriptome analysis show high intra- and inter-donor heterogeneity and reveal the endothelial cell marker CLEC14A to be highly expressed in PAX7null cells. All PAX7-negative cell populations, including PAX7null, form myofibers after transplantation into mice, and regenerate muscle after reinjury. Transplanted PAX7neg cells repopulate the satellite cell niche where they re-express PAX7, or, strikingly, CLEC14A. In conclusion, transplanted human cells do not depend on PAX7 for muscle regeneration.

Ex Vivo Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Therapeutic Purposes: Lessons from Development and the Niche.

Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for therapeutic purposes has been a “holy grail” in the field for many years. Ex vivo expansion of HSCs can help to overcome material shortage for transplantation purposes and genetic modification protocols. In this review, we summarize improved understanding in blood development, the effect of niche and conservative signaling pathways on HSCs in mice and humans, and also advances in ex vivo culturing protocols of human HSCs with cytokines or small molecule compounds. Different expansion protocols have been tested in clinical trials. However, an optimal condition for ex vivo expansion of human HSCs still has not been found yet. Translating and implementing new findings from basic research (for instance by using genetic modification of human HSCs) into clinical protocols is crucial to improve ex vivo expansion and eventually boost stem cell gene therapy.

Posición de la Academia Nacional de Medicina de México con el fin de regular el uso de células troncales y de embriones humanos para fines terapéuticos o de investigación

In recent years, the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes has received attention from research groups. In Mexico, the Mexican Official Standard 260-SSAI-2015 regarding the use of stem and progenitor cells for therapeutic and research purposes is in the process of authorization. Even when this has not been approved, an increasing number of establishments are offering medical services involving the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes without official regulatory authorization. The Mexican Academy of Medicine of Mexico makes its position public in favor of regulating the use of stem cells and embryos for therapeutic and research purposes.

Difference between biomarkers of tibial bone marrow and adipose tissue.

Background: Stem cells, with their regeneration capacity, long-term viability, and differentiation characteristics, have indispensable biological properties. As described by Hauner and Grigoradis et al., mesenchymal stem cell originating from adipose or bone marrow can be differentiated into many tissues such as adipocyte, chondrocyte, myeloblast, and osteoblast. The aim of our study is to compare the use of adipose and tibial bone marrow derived stem cells for therapeutic purposes in orthopedic surgery, which has not been clearly evaluated in the literature to our knowledge and to also evaluate their use. Material and method: Our study was performed between May 2014 and December 2016 in our clinic (Istanbul Medipol University, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology) in 40 patients. Twelve patients were excluded. The ages of the 28 included patients ranged from 19 to 61 years, with a mean of 41.18 ± 13.39 years. The stem cell samples of these patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: Tibial bone marrow stem cells were used in 15 cases and the mean age was 49.33 ± 9.15. Adipose-derived stem cells were used in 13 patients and the mean age was 31.77 ± 11.25. None of the patients had any minor/major complication in the areas where stem cells were collected. Discussion: Tibial-derived bone marrow has better results with regard to the complications, economic burden, and surgery time. Tibial-derived bone marrow harvesting and stem cell preparation time are one-fourth of the stem cell treatment prepared from adipose tissue and the surgical duration is shortened by 45 min. Conclusion: If stem cell use is the preference of the surgeon, we have found that the tibial-derived stem cell system is more advantageous for ease of acquisition, cost analysis, and surgical time.

Mapping the Time Line of Development in Each Layer of Human Foetal Retina.

There is need to elucidate the histological developmental stages of various layers of retina, to understand the process better and provide clinically significant insights. To study the details and chronology of in utero development of different layers of retina. To study time of appearance, differentiation and organization of all layers of central retina in different gestational age groups. Retina was studied histologically in 27 foetuses from18(th) to 34(th) weeks of gestation. We found the period of mid gestation (19(th) -21(st) week of gestation) to be the defining time for retinal layers: The bruch's membrane was fully formed at 20(th) week of gestation; the photoreceptor layer became well defined at 21(st) week of gestation; both the nuclear layers and both the plexiform layers and the ganglion cell layer became distinct at 19(th) week of gestation. Before the 19(th) week, outer and inner neuroblastic zones separated by the neuropil were seen. Well defined nerve fibre layer and inner limiting membrane was present at 18(th) week. The outer limiting membrane was first appreciated at 32(nd) week of gestation. Foetal retinal pigment epithelium was cuboidal and filled with melanin granules while no trace of lipofuscin pigment was found under fluorescent microscope. Detailed data on retinal histogenesis and its timeline might aid in directed differentiation of retinal cell types from stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Legislation governing pluripotent stem cells in South Africa

One of the most exciting areas of medical research involves the use of stem cells for the treatment of patients with a variety of diseases and for tissue repair. Although stem cell research is accelerating rapidly in many countries, it has in the past been limited in South Africa (SA); very little has been done in this country to explore the great potential offered by stem cells to address the high disease burden. Stem cell therapy has however been practised for many years, in SA and worldwide, in the form of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mainly for haematological malignancies. From a therapeutic perspective, two types of stem cells can be defined: pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells. Pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts (either from in vitro fertilisation or following somatic cell nuclear transfer) are called embryonic stem (ES) cells, while those derived by reprogramming adult cells are called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Adult stem cells include haematopoietic, mesenchymal and neural stem cells. The purpose of this article is to critically examine the SA legislation with regard to elements that impact on pluripotent stem cell research and the use of pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes. This includes (but is not limited to) legislation from the National Health Act (Chapter 8 in particular) and its regulations, and deals with matters related to research on embryos in the stem cell context, somatic cell nuclear transfer, reproductive and therapeutic cloning and the generation and therapeutic use of iPS and ES cells.

How do resident stem cells repair the damaged myocardium?

It has been a decade since the monumental discovery of resident stem cells in the mammalian heart, and the following studies witnessed the continuous turnover of cardiomyocytes and vascular cells, maintaining the homeostasis of the organ. Recently, the autologous administration of c-kit-positive cardiac stem cells in patients with ischemic heart failure has led to an incredible outcome; the left ventricular ejection fraction of the cell-treated group improved from 30% at the baseline to 38% after one year and to 42% after two years of cell injection. The potential underlying mechanisms, before and after cell infusion, are explored and discussed in this article. Some of them are related to the intrinsic property of the resident stem cells, such as direct differentiation, paracrine action, and immunomodulatory function, whereas others involve environmental factors, leading to cellular reverse remodeling and to the natural selection of "juvenile" cells. It has now been demonstrated that cardiac stem cells for therapeutic purposes can be prepared from tiny biopsied specimens of the failing heart as well as from frozen tissues, which may remarkably expand the repertoire of the strategy against various cardiovascular disorders, including non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and congenital heart diseases. Further translational investigations are needed to explore these possibilities.

Tolerance induction to human stem cell transplants with extension to their differentiated progeny.

There is increasing interest in transplantation of human stem cells for therapeutic purposes. It would benefit future application if one could achieve their long-term acceptance and functional differentiation in allogeneic hosts using minimal immunosuppression. Allogeneic stem cell transplants differ from conventional tissue transplants insofar as not all alloantigens are revealed during tolerance induction. This risks that the immune system tolerized to antigens expressed by progenitors may still remain responsive to antigens expressed later during differentiation. Here we show that brief induction with monoclonal antibody-mediated coreceptor and costimulation blockade enables long-term engraftment and tolerance towards murine ESCs, hESCs, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and hESC-derived progenitors in outbred murine recipients. Tolerance induced to PSC-derived progenitors extends to their differentiated progenies, and sometimes even to different tissues derived from the same donor. Global gene expression profiling identifies clear features in T cells from tolerized grafts that are distinct from those involved in rejection.

A short history of hemogenic endothelium

Definitive hematopoietic cells are generated de novo during ontogeny from a specialized subset of endothelium, the so-called hemogenic endothelium. In this review we give a brief overview of the identification of hemogenic endothelium, explore its links with the HSC lineage, and summarize recent insights into the nature of hemogenic endothelium and the microenvironmental and intrinsic regulators contributing to its transition into blood. Ultimately, a better understanding of the processes controlling the transition of endothelium into blood will advance the generation and expansion of hematopoietic stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Embryo Politics: Ethics and Policy in Atlantic Democracies by Thomas Banchoff (review)

Reviewed by: Embryo Politics: Ethics and Policy in Atlantic Democracies by Thomas Banchoff Simon A. Cole (bio) Embryo Politics: Ethics and Policy in Atlantic Democracies. By Thomas Banchoff. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2011. Pp. vii+294. $35. The first successful human in vitro fertilization, by Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe at Cambridge University in 1968, generated some media attention but no ethical or political debate. As Thomas Banchoff notes in Embryo Politics, "the human embryo only slowly emerged as an object of ethical controversy" (p. 21). This lucid and well-written book relates a comparative history of this controversy in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Banchoff argues that two distinct periods can be discerned. In the first, from around 1968 through around 1996, the primary medical use of human embryos was for infertility treatment. Ethical debates centered around the moral status attributed to embryos as human life. The second period was shaped by the successful isolation of human embryonic stem cells, first accomplished in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin. This development shifted the discussion of the potential benefits of embryo research from relatively narrow applications in infertility treatment to potential blockbuster applications in disease-curing research and therapeutic cloning. In this period, an "ethic of healing" (p. 172) and worries about the dystopian possibilities posed by cloning dominated the debate. Banchoff compares developments in these two periods across four "Atlantic democracies." He argues that "National historical and institutional legacies" (p. 13) generated quite different politics in the four countries. In the first phase, a powerful anti-abortion movement in the United States linked the issue of embryo personhood to the abortion issue, resulting in public-private split: a ban on federally funded, but not on privately funded, research. Germany, which associated embryo research with Nazi eugenic and medical abuses, adopted the most conservative regime: a total ban on embryo research. France also adopted a ban, though based on a secular humanist commitment to human rights and dignity. The United Kingdom [End Page 430] took the most liberal approach. Anti-abortion forces, though present, were not nearly as strong as in the United States, the Catholic population was smaller, and even British conservatives were excited by the medical potential of embryo research. In the second phase, anti-research forces lost ground. Pro-research forces were able to promise potential cures for a wide variety of devastating diseases, and to represent the curing of disease as just as "pro-life" as the protection of embryos. France changed the most, moving from a total ban to a five-year trial period in which the derivation of embryonic stem cells for therapeutic purposes would be permitted. The United States maintained its peculiarly American public-private split, with President George W. Bush's famous 2001 decision to limit federal embryonic research funding to sixty existing stem-cell lines. Germany remained the most conservative, allowing research on imported embryos but not the domestic derivation of embryonic stem cells. The United Kingdom remained the most liberal regime. Of particular interest were the attempts to control the debate through language, such as proposals to call therapeutic cloning "nuclear substitution" and to call a cloned embryo a "clonote," an "activated egg," an "ovasome," or a "pre-embryo" (pp. 146-47). Banchoff argues that "in keeping with the idea of a value-free social science," it is important that he not take a position on the debate over embryo research. On one issue, however, he does take a normative position: he argues forcefully that the quality of the debate eroded in the second phase. He contends that in the first phase both sides acknowledged that their adversaries had compelling interests as well. In the second phase, the debate "degenerated too often into charges and countercharges." (p. 237) Research proponents, Banchoff argues, refused to acknowledge the moral status of embryos. And opponents of research ignored embryonic stem-cell research's compelling potential to alleviate human suffering. Embryo Politics aims to be a "straight history": it does not seek to use its case study to explicate the relationship between science and technology and politics, as does, for example, Sheila Jasanoff 's shorter treatment of the second-phase...

Nanofiber-mediated release of retinoic acid and brain-derived neurotrophic factor for enhanced neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells.

The treatment of an injured central nervous system using stem-cell-based regenerative medicine still faces considerable hurdles that need to be overcome. Chief among which is the lack of efficient strategies to generate functional neurons from stem cells. The sustained delivery of biochemical cues and synergistic topographical signaling from electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds may be a potential strategy to enhance neuronal differentiation of stem cells for therapeutic purposes. In this study, retinoic acid (RA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were encapsulated into a copolymer of ε-caprolactone and ethyl ethylene phosphate to form a multifunctional, electrospun nanofibrous scaffold. Sustained release of RA and BDNF was achieved for at least 7 and 14 days, respectively. Despite lower cumulative release of drugs as compared to bolus delivery to plain nanofibers (at least 2× and 50× lower for RA and BDNF, respectively), nanofiber-mediated delivery of RA and/or BDNF resulted in similar capacity for neuronal differentiation of mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs). In addition, nanofiber topography significantly increased neuronal differentiation (with BDNF, 47.4% Map2(+) cells on 2D vs. 53.4 to 56.5% on nanofibers, p < 0.05) and reduced glial cell differentiation. BDNF was a more potent inducer of neuronal differentiation than RA. RA supplementation alone resulted in minimal effect on NPC differentiation, and dual supplementation of RA and BDNF did not further enhance the neuronal differentiation of NPCs. Collectively, the results suggest that synergistic effects of nanofiber topography and sustained delivery of RA and/or BDNF may contribute towards the design of a multifunctional artificial stem cell niche for NPC neuronal differentiation.

Human Amnion–Derived Cells as a Reliable Source of Stem Cells

Human amnion-derived cells possess great potential for the repair of human neural disorders, and recent studies have broadened the spectrum for applications because they exhibit the characteristics of multipotent stem cells. These cells express embryonic stem cell markers such as Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, SSEA-3, SSEA-4 and Rex1, and can differentiate into multiple primary germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, induced pluripotent stem cells have been generated from amnion-derived cells by virus-mediated delivery of three or four pluripotency-relating transcription factors or by the introduction of only one transcription factor with electroporation. Because human amnion-derived cells are readily available, less likely to contain genetic aberrations and can be reprogrammed earlier and more efficiently than differentiated cells, they can be ideal resources as the donor pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes. We discuss here the highlights of recent studies and potential applications of human amnion-derived multipotent stem cells to stem cell biology as well as to regenerative medicine in the field of aging, heart disease, diabetes and neural disorders.

Diagnostic préimplantatoire : des évolutions à prévoir ?

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been practiced for over 20 years. It prevents the birth of children with serious genetic diseases by selecting healthy embryos before pregnancy. In France, the initial indications of PGD have been extended in two directions: on the one hand, to allow identification of a mutation combined with embryo's HLA typing, to obtain, at birth, stem cells for therapeutic purposes, and on the other hand, to avoid transmission of late onset diseases without having to test the at-risk parent. Other applications are practiced worldwide but are not allowed in our country, such as social sexing. Technological developments can enable more complex diagnosis, research of several diseases or other genetic traits. It may be useful, for example, to use this possibility to add screening for Down's syndrome at any PDG in older women, when the risk is high. Other objectives were considered but presenting difficulties in their application, not only for regulatory and technical reasons, but also from an ethical point of view.

Possible clinical usefulness of embryonic stem cells

Are embryonic stem cells being used for therapeutic purposes?The aim of this short report is to review to what extent are embryonic stem cells currently used for therapeutic purposes.To the best of our knowledge, only four clinical trials have been authorised so far to use human embryonic stem cells for therapeutic purposes; two of these are included in the ClinicalTrials.gov data base, and the other two, the study sponsored by Geron and the last one initiated by Advanced Cell Technology in the United Kingdom, are not.But, in addition, Geron withdrew the clinical trial which had been originally proposed by the company itself.This brief review focuses the debate on the use of embryonic stem cells in human cell therapy. To the best of our knowledge, only three trials are ongoing with therapeutic purposes thus far, with not all of them having begun to include patients, and of course without any of them yet having obtained evaluable clinical results.

213 TRANSCRIPTOMIC COMPARISON BETWEEN PORCINE ADIPOSE AND BONE MARROW MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS DURING IN VITRO OSTEOGENIC AND ADIPOGENIC DIFFERENTIATION

Previous data support the use of adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) as an alternative to bone marrow as a source of adult stem cells for therapeutic purposes. The aims of the present study were to directly compare the transcriptome of ASC and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) in order to uncover potential functional differences between the two mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) and related functions that may drive MSC to become bone or adipose and to identify potential markers for adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. ASC and BMSC, isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue and femurs of 3 adult pigs were differentiated in vitro along the osteogenic and adipogenic lineage for up to 4 wk. At 0, 2, 7 and 21 days of differentiation, RNA was extracted for microarray analysis. Data were normalized by Lowess and statistical analysis run using ANOVA with Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Data mining was carried out using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and DAVID. Analysis of undifferentiated MSC for genes with the highest expression and DEG between MSC and fully differentiated tissues uncovered MSC being featured by low immunity and high angiogenic capacity. The direct comparison between differentiation lineages indicated that the expression of a limited number of genes has to change in order to determine cell fate. Functional analysis of the DEG between differentiation lineages indicated that osteogenesis is characterised by larger cell proliferation and cytoskeleton organisation with a crucial role of G-proteins compared to adipogenesis. On the other hand, adipogenesis is driven by PPAR signalling, has greater angiogenesis, lipid metabolism, migration and tumorigenesis capacity compared to osteogenesis. The direct comparison between ASC and BMSC during the same differentiation uncovered that ASC is featured by a greater lipid metabolism compared to BMSC, while BMSC has a more pronounced cell growth and proliferation than ASC. In addition, we uncovered 39 specific gene markers for adipogenesis and 65 for osteogenesis. NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1), aquaporin 3 (AQP3), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), fatty acid binding protein 3 and 5 (FABP3 and FABP5) and ferritin light polypeptide (FTL) were among the best adipogenic markers. Hemopexin (HPX), collagenase type 3α (COL3A1), annexin A8-like 1 (ANXA8L1), flotillin 2 (FLOT2) and periostin or osteoblast specific factor (POSTN) were among the best osteogenic markers. Overall, the data indicated that the transcriptome of the two MSC are similar across the conditions studied. In addition, despite the limited DEG between the two MSC, the enrichment of several functions/pathways might indicate differences in therapeutic application. This work was support by the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute (IDPH # 63080017).

Characterization of dental pulp stem/stromal cells of Huntington monkey tooth germs

BackgroundDental pulp stem/stromal cells (DPSCs) are categorized as adult stem cells (ASCs) that retain multipotent differentiation capabilities. DPSCs can be isolated from individuals at any age and are considered to be true personal stem cells, making DPSCs one of the potential options for stem cell therapy. However, the properties of DPSCs from individuals with an inherited genetic disorder, such as Huntington's disease (HD), have not been fully investigated.ResultsTo examine if mutant huntingtin (htt) protein impacts DPSC properties, we have established DPSCs from tooth germ of transgenic monkeys that expressed both mutant htt and green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes (rHD/G-DPSCs), and from a monkey that expressed only the GFP gene (rG-DPSCs), which served as a control. Although mutant htt and oligomeric htt aggregates were overtly present in rHD/G-DPSCs, all rHD/G-DPSCs and rG-DPSCs shared similar characteristics, including self-renewal, multipotent differentiation capabilities, expression of stemness and differentiation markers, and cell surface antigen profile.ConclusionsOur results suggest that DPSCs from Huntington monkeys retain ASC properties. Thus DPSCs derived from individuals with genetic disorders such as HD could be a potential source of personal stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Genetically Modified Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Improved Islet Transplantation

The use of adult stem cells for therapeutic purposes has met with great success in recent years. Among several types of adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) and other sources have gained popularity for basic research and clinical applications because of their therapeutic potential in treating a variety of diseases. Because of their tissue regeneration potential and immune modulation effect, MSCs were recently used as cell-based therapy to promote revascularization, increase pancreatic β-cell proliferation, and avoid allograft rejection in islet transplantation. Taking advantage of the recent progress in gene therapy, genetically modified MSCs can further enhance and expand the therapeutic benefit of primary MSCs while retaining their stem-cell-like properties. This review aims to gain a thorough understanding of the current obstacles to successful islet transplantation and discusses the potential role of primary MSCs before or after genetic modification in islet transplantation.