scholarly journals Progenitors for the Corneal Endothelium and Trabecular Meshwork: A Potential Source for Personalized Stem Cell Therapy in Corneal Endothelial Diseases and Glaucoma

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wing Yan Yu ◽  
Carl Sheridan ◽  
Ian Grierson ◽  
Sharon Mason ◽  
Victoria Kearns ◽  
...  

Several adult stem cell types have been found in different parts of the eye, including the corneal epithelium, conjunctiva, and retina. In addition to these, there have been accumulating evidence that some stem-like cells reside in the transition area between the peripheral corneal endothelium (CE) and the anterior nonfiltering portion of the trabecular meshwork (TM), which is known as the Schwalbe's Ring region. These stem/progenitor cells may supply new cells for the CE and TM. In fact, the CE and TM share certain similarities in terms of their embryonic origin and proliferative capacityin vivo. In this paper, we discuss the putative stem cell source which has the potential for replacement of lost and nonfunctional cells in CE diseases and glaucoma. The future development of personalized stem cell therapies for the CE and TM may reduce the requirement of corneal grafts and surgical treatments in glaucoma.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3546
Author(s):  
Jon Luzuriaga ◽  
Yurena Polo ◽  
Oier Pastor-Alonso ◽  
Beatriz Pardo-Rodríguez ◽  
Aitor Larrañaga ◽  
...  

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are some of the most promising stem cell types for regenerative therapies given their ability to grow in the absence of serum and their realistic possibility to be used in autologous grafts. In this review, we describe the particular advantages of hDPSCs for neuroregenerative cell therapies. We thoroughly discuss the knowledge about their embryonic origin and characteristics of their postnatal niche, as well as the current status of cell culture protocols to maximize their multilineage differentiation potential, highlighting some common issues when assessing neuronal differentiation fates of hDPSCs. We also review the recent progress on neuroprotective and immunomodulatory capacity of hDPSCs and their secreted extracellular vesicles, as well as their combination with scaffold materials to improve their functional integration on the injured central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Finally, we offer some perspectives on the current and possible future applications of hDPSCs in neuroregenerative cell therapies.


Author(s):  
Prithiv K R Kumar

Renal failure is a major health problem. The mortality rate remain high despite of several therapies. The most complex of the renal issues are solved through stem cells. In this review, different mechanism for cure of chronic kidney injury along with cell engraftment incorporated into renal structures will be analysed. Paracrine activities of embryonic or induced Pluripotent stem cells are explored on the basis of stem cell-induced kidney regeneration. Several experiments have been conducted to advance stem cells to ensure the restoration of renal functions. More vigour and organised protocols for delivering stem cells is a possibility for advancement in treatment of renal disease. Also there is a need for pressing therapies to replicate the tissue remodelling and cellular repair processes suitable for renal organs. Stem cells are the undifferentiated cells that have the ability to multiply into several cell types. In vivo experiments on animal’s stem cells have shown significant improvements in the renal regeneration and functions of organs. Nevertheless more studies show several improvements in the kidney repair due to stem cell regeneration.


Author(s):  
Anja Trillhaase ◽  
Marlon Maertens ◽  
Zouhair Aherrahrou ◽  
Jeanette Erdmann

AbstractStem cell technology has been around for almost 30 years and in that time has grown into an enormous field. The stem cell technique progressed from the first successful isolation of mammalian embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in the 1990s, to the production of human induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in the early 2000s, to finally culminate in the differentiation of pluripotent cells into highly specialized cell types, such as neurons, endothelial cells (ECs), cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and lung and intestinal cells, in the last decades. In recent times, we have attained a new height in stem cell research whereby we can produce 3D organoids derived from stem cells that more accurately mimic the in vivo environment. This review summarizes the development of stem cell research in the context of vascular research ranging from differentiation techniques of ECs and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to the generation of vascularized 3D organoids. Furthermore, the different techniques are critically reviewed, and future applications of current 3D models are reported. Graphical abstract


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kriti Joshi ◽  
Fergus Cameron ◽  
Swasti Tiwari ◽  
Stuart I. Mannering ◽  
Andrew G. Elefanty ◽  
...  

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology is increasingly being used to create in vitro models of monogenic human disorders. This is possible because, by and large, the phenotypic consequences of such genetic variants are often confined to a specific and known cell type, and the genetic variants themselves can be clearly identified and controlled for using a standardized genetic background. In contrast, complex conditions such as autoimmune Type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a polygenic inheritance and are subject to diverse environmental influences. Moreover, the potential cell types thought to contribute to disease progression are many and varied. Furthermore, as HLA matching is critical for cell-cell interactions in disease pathogenesis, any model that seeks to test the involvement of particular cell types must take this restriction into account. As such, creation of an in vitro model of T1D will require a system that is cognizant of genetic background and enables the interaction of cells representing multiple lineages to be examined in the context of the relevant environmental disease triggers. In addition, as many of the lineages critical to the development of T1D cannot be easily generated from iPSCs, such models will likely require combinations of cell types derived from in vitro and in vivo sources. In this review we imagine what an ideal in vitro model of T1D might look like and discuss how the required elements could be feasibly assembled using existing technologies. We also examine recent advances towards this goal and discuss potential uses of this technology in contributing to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this autoimmune condition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tereza Filipi ◽  
Zuzana Hermanova ◽  
Jana Tureckova ◽  
Ondrej Vanatko ◽  
Miroslava Anderova

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disease, which is characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the motor cortex and the spinal cord and subsequently by muscle atrophy. To date, numerous gene mutations have been linked to both sporadic and familial ALS, but the effort of many experimental groups to develop a suitable therapy has not, as of yet, proven successful. The original focus was on the degenerating motor neurons, when researchers tried to understand the pathological mechanisms that cause their slow death. However, it was soon discovered that ALS is a complicated and diverse pathology, where not only neurons, but also other cell types, play a crucial role via the so-called non-cell autonomous effect, which strongly deteriorates neuronal conditions. Subsequently, variable glia-based in vitro and in vivo models of ALS were established and used for brand-new experimental and clinical approaches. Such a shift towards glia soon bore its fruit in the form of several clinical studies, which more or less successfully tried to ward the unfavourable prognosis of ALS progression off. In this review, we aimed to summarize current knowledge regarding the involvement of each glial cell type in the progression of ALS, currently available treatments, and to provide an overview of diverse clinical trials covering pharmacological approaches, gene, and cell therapies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana-Maria Amărandi ◽  
Diana F. Becheru ◽  
George M. Vlăsceanu ◽  
Mariana Ioniță ◽  
Jorge S. Burns

Regenerative medicine is challenged by the need to conform to rigorous guidelines for establishing safe and effective development and translation of stem cell-based therapies. Counteracting widespread concerns regarding unproven cell therapies, stringent cell-based assays seek not only to avoid harm but also to enhance quality and efficacy. Potency indicates that the cells are functionally fit for purpose before they are administered to the patient. It is a paramount quantitative critical quality attribute serving as a decisive release criterion. Given a broad range of stem cell types and therapeutic contexts the potency assay often comprises one of the most demanding hurdles for release of a cell therapy medicinal product. With need for improved biomarker assessment and expedited measurement, recent advances in graphene-based biosensors suggest that they are poised to be valuable platforms for accelerating potency assay development. Among several potential advantages, they offer versatility for sensitive measurement of a broad range of potential biomarker types, cell biocompatibility for direct measurement, and small sample sufficiency, plus ease of use and point-of-care applicability.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. SCI-15-SCI-15
Author(s):  
Lluis Espinosa ◽  
Anna Bigas

Abstract Abstract SCI-15 The Notch pathway controls the generation of different cell types in most tissues including blood, and dysregulation of this pathway is strongly associated with oncogenic processes. In many systems, Notch is also required for the maintenance of the stem cell populations. However, in the adult hematopoietic system this link between Notch and stemness has not been established. Instead, work of several groups, including ours, has clearly demonstrated that Notch has a prominent role in the generation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) during embryonic development. Although the first wave of blood cells appears in the mouse embryo around day 7.5 of development and is independent of Notch function, embryonic HSC are formed around day 10 of development from endothelial-like progenitors that reside in the embryonic aorta surrounded by the gonad and mesonephros, also called AGM region. By analyzing different Notch pathway mutant mouse embryos, we have demonstrated the involvement of the Jagged1-Notch1-GATA2 axis in this event. However, the formal demonstration that Notch regulates the GATA2 gene during HSC generation is still lacking. We have now found that GATA2 is a direct Notch target in vivo during embryonic HSC generation. However, whereas Notch positively activates GATA2 transcription in the HSC precursors, it simultaneously activates hes1 transcription, which acts a repressor of the same GATA2 gene. This finding directly implicates hes1 in the regulation of HSC development although further studies using loss-of-function mutant embryos are still needed. Altogether, our results indicate that both Notch and hes1 are required to finely regulate the levels, distribution, and likely the timing of GATA2 expression through an incoherent feed-forward loop. In parallel, we have identified other downstream targets of Notch in the AGM region by ChIP-on-chip and expression microarray analysis that we are currently characterizing. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2014 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 13-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Kang Peng ◽  
Cathy N. P. Lui ◽  
Tsen-Hsuan Lin ◽  
Chen Chang ◽  
Pi-Tai Chou ◽  
...  

Neural stem cells (NSCs), which generate the main phenotypes of the nervous system, are multipotent cells and are able to differentiate into multiple cell types via external stimuli from the environment. The extraction, modification and re-application of NSCs have thus attracted much attention and raised hopes for novel neural stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine. However, few studies have successfully identified the distribution of NSCs in a live brain and monitored the corresponding extraction processes both in vitro and in vivo. To address those difficulties, in this study multi-functional uniform nanoparticles comprising an iron oxide core and a functionalized silica shell (Fe3O4@SiO2(FITC)-CD133, FITC: a green emissive dye, CD133: anti-CD133 antibody) have been strategically designed and synthesized for use as probe nanocomposites that provide four-in-one functionality, i.e., magnetic agitation, dual imaging (both magnetic resonance and optical) and specific targeting. It is shown that these newly synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2(FITC)-CD133 particles have clearly demonstrated their versatility in various applications. (1) The magnetic core enables magnetic cell collection and T2 magnetic resonance imaging. (2) The fluorescent FITC embedded in the silica framework enables optical imaging. (3) CD133 anchored on the outermost surface is demonstrated to be capable of targeting neural stem cells for cell collection and bimodal imaging.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azizeh-Mitra Yousefi ◽  
Paul F. James ◽  
Rosa Akbarzadeh ◽  
Aswati Subramanian ◽  
Conor Flavin ◽  
...  

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been the subject of many studies in recent years, ranging from basic science that looks into MSCs properties to studies that aim for developing bioengineered tissues and organs. Adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have been the focus of most studies due to the inherent potential of these cells to differentiate into various cell types. Although, the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of cellular differentiation. These cells are another attractive stem cell source because of their ability to be reprogramed, allowing the generation of multiple cell types from a single cell. This paper briefly covers various types of stem cell sources that have been used for tissue engineering applications, with a focus on bone regeneration. Then, an overview of some recent studies making use of MSC-seeded 3D scaffold systems for bone tissue engineering has been presented. The emphasis has been placed on the reported scaffold properties that tend to improve MSCs adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation outcomes.


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