Recent advances in stem cell therapeutics and tissue engineering strategies

Abstract

BackgroundTissue regeneration includes delivering specific types of cells or cell products to injured tissues or organs for restoration of tissue and organ function. Stem cell therapy has drawn considerable attention since transplantation of stem cells can overcome the limitations of autologous transplantation of patient’s tissues; however, it is not perfect for treating diseases. To overcome the hurdles associated with stem cell therapy, tissue engineering techniques have been developed. Development of stem cell technology in combination with tissue engineering has opened new ways of producing engineered tissue substitutes. Several studies have shown that this combination of tissue engineering and stem cell technologies enhances cell viability, differentiation, and therapeutic efficacy of transplanted stem cells.Main bodyStem cells that can be used for tissue regeneration include mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Transplantation of stem cells alone into injured tissues exhibited low therapeutic efficacy due to poor viability and diminished regenerative activity of transplanted cells. In this review, we will discuss the progress of biomedical engineering, including scaffolds, biomaterials, and tissue engineering techniques to overcome the low therapeutic efficacy of stem cells and to treat human diseases.ConclusionThe combination of stem cell and tissue engineering techniques overcomes the limitations of stem cells in therapy of human diseases, and presents a new path toward regeneration of injured tissues.

Regenerative Potential of Platelet-Rich Fibrin Releasate Combined with Adipose Tissue–Derived Stem Cells in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury Model

“…Since fibrin can be easily formed under physiological conditions and is characterized by both biocompatibility and cell adhesion, previous studies have reported that transplantation of ADSCs embedded in fibrin glue promotes regeneration through a neuroprotective effect on sensory neurons and stimulation of axon growth 16 . Although stem cell therapy provides a new paradigm in tissue regeneration, they are limitation in clinical application due to the poor survival and differentiation potentials of the transplanted cells 36 . Regarding PRFr, it has significant GF activity so that they can be administered with ADSCs to damaged tissues by either transplanting cells or, as a safer alternative, using the conditioned medium of ADSCs 21 .…”

Advances in Pluripotent Stem Cells: History, Mechanisms, Technologies, and Applications

“…In recent years, and especially in the last decade, stem cell research has blossomed into an exciting and promising field. Stem cells, especially ESCs and iPSCs have shown great application promise in four major fields: regenerative and transplant medicine [11,12]; disease modeling [13,14]; drug discovery screening [15,16]; and human developmental biology [17] [18],. Thus, the evolution of regenerative medicine continues, from the early first descriptions of stem cells to their expanding clinical applications at present.…”

3D Cell Printing of Tissue/Organ-Mimicking Constructs for Therapeutic and Drug Testing Applications

“…However, cell-based therapeutics face the challenges of low survivability and differentiation potential of transplanted cells. A tissue engineering approach, based on the combination of cells, biomaterials, and biochemicals, may be able to overcome these limitations [ 141 , 142 ]. As such, 3D cell printing is a powerful technology for constructing tissue-engineered tissue/organs.…”