Enhancing Stem Cell-Based Therapeutic Potential by Combining Various Bioengineering Technologies

Abstract

Stem cell-based therapeutics have gained tremendous attention in recent years due to their wide range of applications in various degenerative diseases, injuries, and other health-related conditions. Therapeutically effective bone marrow stem cells, cord blood- or adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and more recently, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been widely reported in many preclinical and clinical studies with some promising results. However, these stem cell-only transplantation strategies are hindered by the harsh microenvironment, limited cell viability, and poor retention of transplanted cells at the sites of injury. In fact, a number of studies have reported that less than 5% of the transplanted cells are retained at the site of injury on the first day after transplantation, suggesting extremely low (<1%) viability of transplanted cells. In this context, 3D porous or fibrous national polymers (collagen, fibrin, hyaluronic acid, and chitosan)-based scaffold with appropriate mechanical features and biocompatibility can be used to overcome various limitations of stem cell-only transplantation by supporting their adhesion, survival, proliferation, and differentiation as well as providing elegant 3-dimensional (3D) tissue microenvironment. Therefore, stem cell-based tissue engineering using natural or synthetic biomimetics provides novel clinical and therapeutic opportunities for a number of degenerative diseases or tissue injury. Here, we summarized recent studies involving various types of stem cell-based tissue-engineering strategies for different degenerative diseases. We also reviewed recent studies for preclinical and clinical use of stem cell-based scaffolds and various optimization strategies.

Hydrogel-exosome system in tissue engineering: A promising therapeutic strategy

“…Alveolar bone defects can increase the risk for periodontal diseases such as periodontitis. Dental stem cells, including dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), human shedding deciduous teeth stem cells (SHEDs), stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP), and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), have been used as seed cells for tissue engineering [ 270 , 271 ]. The combination of exosomes derived from such cells with alginate-gelatin or collagen hydrogels has yielded promising results in a rat model for alveolar bone defect [ 272 , 273 ].…”

Regenerative Approaches in Gingival Tissue Engineering

“…These cells can differentiate into various cell types, including fibroblasts, essential for forming new gingival tissue [30]. Biodegradable scaffolds infused with MSCs can be placed in the area of gingival recession to provide a 3D matrix for cell attachment and growth, eventually leading to tissue regeneration [31]. Gene and cell-based therapies hold significant promise for improving the outcomes of gingival regeneration.…”

The Wisdom in Teeth: Neuronal Differentiation of Dental Pulp Cells

“…Various types of MSCs have been described according to their adherence to plastic, specific surface antigen expression, and multipotency (Dominici et al, 2006 ). MSCs derived from bone marrow (BM) and Wharton jelly are widely used for research and therapeutic purposes (Hong, 2022 ; Liau et al, 2020 ). MSCs originating from other tissues, including the dental pulp isolated from third molars (wisdom teeth), have also been studied and used.…”