Stem Cells: A Revolution in Therapeutics—Recent Advances in Stem Cell Biology and Their Therapeutic Applications in Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Therapies

Abstract

Basic and clinical research accomplished during the last few years on embryonic, fetal, amniotic, umbilical cord blood, and adult stem cells has constituted a revolution in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies by providing the possibility of generating multiple therapeutically useful cell types. These new cells could be used for treating numerous genetic and degenerative disorders. Among them, age-related functional defects, hematopoietic and immune system disorders, heart failures, chronic liver injuries, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, arthritis, and muscular, skin, lung, eye, and digestive disorders as well as aggressive and recurrent cancers could be successfully treated by stem cell-based therapies. This review focuses on the recent advancements in adult stem cell biology in normal and pathological conditions. We describe how these results have improved our understanding on critical and unique functions of these rare sub-populations of multipotent and undifferentiated cells with an unlimited self-renewal capacity and high plasticity. Finally, we discuss some major advances to translate the experimental models on ex vivo and in vivo expanded and/or differentiated stem cells into clinical applications for the development of novel cellular therapies aimed at repairing genetically altered or damaged tissues/organs in humans. A particular emphasis is made on the therapeutic potential of different tissue-resident adult stem cell types and their in vivo modulation for treating and curing specific pathological disorders.

Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Do Not Differentiate Into Dopamine Neurons In Vitro or After Transplantation In Vivo

“…One such alternative source that has received much interest of late is human amniotic fl uid collected during routine amniocenteses. Amniotic fl uid contains a variety of cell types derived from both fetal and amnion tissues, ~1% of which are believed to be amniotic fl uid stem (AFS) cells [15,16]. Thus, it was of great interest when Atala and colleagues [17] reported recently that they had successfully established human stem cell lines from amniotic fl uid (hAFS).…”

Effect of muscle‐derived stem cells on the restoration of corpora cavernosa smooth muscle and erectile function in the aged rat

“…While it is possible that pharmacological therapy, or even gene therapy [17], may one day prove to be efficacious in reversing ageing-related and other forms of ED in the human, it has recently been reported that the therapeutic applications of stem cells [18,19] might extend to the replenishment of the corporal SMC population that is impacted by the ageing process. To date, only a few studies of stem cell implantation in experimental models of ED, to repair either nerves or smooth muscle in the corpora, have been conducted [20][21][22][23], although stem cells are also being investigated for the repair of other urogenital organs, such as the bladder, urethra, and kidney [24][25][26][27].…”

Methylguanine DNA Methyltransferase-Mediated Drug Resistance-Based Selective Enrichment and Engraftment of Transplanted Stem Cells in Skeletal Muscle

“…This is encouraging when considering that cell therapy for the replacement of dysfunctional adult stem cells due to aging and in diverse genetic/degenerative disorders is being considered across many different tissue types including lung disorders, chronic liver injuries, gastrointestinal disorders, and types I and II diabetes (reviewed in ref. [55]). Our data supports the feasibility of applying the MGMT-mediated donor cell enrichment strategy in other tissue types and solid organs where cell replacement therapy exists as a viable treatment option.…”