Stem Cell Platforms for Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

The pandemic of chronic degenerative diseases associated with aging demographics mandates development of effective approaches for tissue repair. As diverse stem cells directly contribute to innate healing, the capacity for de novo tissue reconstruction harbors a promising role for regenerative medicine. Indeed, a spectrum of natural stem cell sources ranging from embryonic to adult progenitors has been recently identifi ed with unique characteristics for regeneration. The accessibility and applicability of the regenerative armamentarium has been further expanded with stem cells engineered by nuclear reprogramming. Through strategies of replacement to implant functional tissues, regeneration to transplant progenitor cells or rejuvenation to activate endogenous self-repair mechanisms, the overarching goal of regenerative medicine is to translate stem cell platforms into practice and achieve cures for diseases limited to palliative interventions. Harnessing the full potential of each platform will optimize matching stem cell-based biologics with the diseasespecifi c niche environment of individual patients to maximize the quality of long-term management, while minimizing the needs for adjunctive therapy. Emerging discovery science with feedback from clinical translation is therefore poised to transform medicine offering safe and effective stem cell biotherapeutics to enable personalized solutions for incurable diseases.

Stem Cell Biobanks

“…In this way, embryonic stem cells, umbilical cord-derived stem cells and adult stem cells, just to mention a few, can be really effective. The new frontier is then represented by bioengineered stem cells obtained by the conversion of somatic donor cells into pluripotent progenitors by "therapeutic cloning" and nuclear reprogramming (iPS cells) to derive patient-specific progenitor cells [33]. All these stem cell platforms are currently available for "customized" clinical applications.…”

Regenerative Medicine: On the Vanguard of Health Care

“…In contrast to pluripotent embryonic stem cells, which are derived from the inner cell mass of preimplantation blastocysts and are capable of forming all lineages of the body, adult stem cells have a more restricted multipotent differentiation capacity. 7 Clinical experience to date is largely based on adult stem cell use. Beyond established applications in treating multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, and autoimmune diseases, stem cells derived from adult sources are increasingly considered as a novel treatment for diverse indications, including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and neurologic disorders.…”

“…Stem cells are thus a fundamental tool in the rapidly advancing regenerative medicine toolkit. 7 To facilitate the implementation and validation of repair paradigms, the findings of the regenerative medicine vanguard must be rigorously translated from principle to clinical practice.…”

Toxicogenomics and cancer pathogenesis

“…As diverse stem cells directly contribute to innate healing, the capacity for de novo tissue reconstruction harbors a promising role for regenerative medicine. Through strategies of replacement to implant functional tissues, regeneration to transplant progenitor cells or rejuvenation to activate endogenous self-repair mechanisms, the overarching goal of regenerative medicine is to translate stem cell platforms into practice and achieve cures for diseases limited to palliative interventions [93].…”