Embryonic stem cells: a promising tool for cell replacement therapy

Abstract

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are revolutionizing the field of developmental biology as a potential tool to understand the molecular mechanisms occurring during the process of differentiation from the embryonic stage to the adult phenotype. ES cells harvested from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the early embryo can proliferate indefinitely in vitro while retaining the ability to differentiate into all somatic cells. Emerging results from mice models with ES cells are promising and raising tremendous hope among the scientific community for the ES-cell based cell replacement therapy (CRT) of various severe diseases. ES cells could potentially revolutionize medicine by providing an unlimited renewable source of cells capable of replacing or repairing tissues that have been damaged in almost all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, myocardial infarction and Parkinson's disease. This review updates the progress of ES cell research in CRT, discusses about the problems encountered in the practical utility of ES cells in CRT and evaluates how far this approach is successful experimentally.

Development of Human Cloned Blastocysts Following Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer with Adult Fibroblasts

“…The consistent and efficient generation of both heterologous and autologous stem cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has the potential to revolutionize our understanding and development of treatments for degenerative diseases [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The recent voluntary withdrawal, amid allegations of scientific impropriety, of publications that claimed successful human nuclear transfer [11] suggests that a reassessment of the critical pathways to performing successful SCNT with human oocytes is required.…”

Differentiation of neuronal cells using a murine embryonic stem cell-based method

“…Many aspects of lineage-specific differentiation programs observed within EBs reflect those found in the embryo indicating this model system provides access to early cell populations that develop in a normal fashion [2,30]. ES cells are also able to spontaneously differentiate and generate various lineages under appropriate conditions in cell culture [31,32]. Using this in vitro system, it is possible to screen many compounds efficiently and, once a candidate molecule is identified, it can be studied in detail to define mechanisms by which it exerts its effect.…”

Study of Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation for Rats with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

“…Therefore, the discovery of a new and alternative treatment method is of great importance and urgency. More and more evidence indicates that stem cell transplantation can increase myocardial cells, 11) and ADMSCs can be induced to differentiate into myocardial cells and cultured in vitro with a regular doubling population. In this study, mesenchyme stem cells were isolated from adipose tissue and Induced by 10 μmol/15-aza for 24 h, the properties of myocardial cells were identified with α-actin, cTnT markers on myocardial cells.…”