Stem cell therapies for malignant glioma

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moneeb Ehtesham ◽  
Charles B. Stevenson ◽  
Reid C. Thompson

The prognosis for patients with malignant glioma, which is the most common primary intracranial neoplasm, remains dismal despite significant progress in neurooncological therapies and technology. This is largely due to the inability of current treatment strategies to address the highly invasive nature of this disease. Malignant glial cells often disseminate throughout the brain, making it exceedingly difficult to target and treat all intracranial neoplastic foci, with the result that tumor recurrence is inevitable despite aggressive surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The use of neural stem cells (NSCs) as delivery vehicles for tumor-toxic molecules represents the first experimental strategy aimed specifically at targeting disseminated tumor pockets. Investigators have demonstrated that NSCs possess robust tropism for infiltrating tumor cells, and that they can be used to deliver therapeutic agents directly to tumor satellites, with significant therapeutic benefit. With the aim of developing these findings into a clinically viable technology that would not be hindered by ethical and tissue rejection–related concerns, the use of adult tissue–derived stem cells has recently been explored. These technologies represent important progress in the development of a treatment strategy that can specifically target disseminated neoplastic pockets within the brain. Despite encouraging results in preclinical models, however, there are significant impediments that must be overcome prior to clinical implementation of this strategy. Key among these are an inadequate understanding of the specific tropic mechanisms that govern NSC migration toward invasive tumor, and the need to refine the processes used to generate tumor-tropic stem cells from adult tissues so that this can be accomplished in a clinically practicable fashion. Despite these limitations, the use of stem cell therapies for brain tumors holds significant promise and may emerge as an important therapeutic modality for patients with malignant glioma.

2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (0) ◽  
pp. 0-0 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Gapska ◽  
Maciej Kurpisz

There is a variety of mechanisms(s) factor(s) that may influence stem cell therapies for heart regeneration. Among the best candidates for stem cell source are: mesenchymal stem cells (also those isolated from adipose tissue), cardiac cell progenitors (CPC) and descendants of iPSC cells. iPSC/s can be potentially beneficial although their pluripotent induction has been still in question due to: low propagation efficacy, danger of genomic integration/instability, biological risk of current vector system teratoma formation etc. which have been discussed in this review. Optimization protocols are required in order to enhance stem cells resistance to pathological conditions that they may encounter in pathological organ and to increase their retention. Combination between gene transfer and stem cell therapy is now more often used in pre-clinical studies with the prospect of subsequent clinical trials. Complementary substances have been contemplated to support stem cell viability (mainly anti-inflammatory and anti- apoptotic agents), which have been tested in animal models with promising results. Integration of nanotechnology both for efficient stem cell imaging as well as with the aim to provide cell supporting scaffolds seem to be inevitable for further development of cellular therapies. The whole organ (heart) reconstruction as well as biodegradable scaffolds and scaffold-free cell sheets have been also outlined.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevil Kestane

This overview was evaluated by the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the stem cell therapy approach. DR is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by damage to the retinal blood vessels leading to progressive loss of vision. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms are complicated and not completely understood yet. The current treatment strategies have included medical, laser, intravitreal, and surgical approaches. It is known that the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which has a great potential, is promising for the treatment of many degenerative disorders, including the eye. In retinal degenerative diseases, MSCs were ameliorated retinal neurons and retinal pigmented epithelial cells in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Stem cell therapies show promise in neurodegenerative diseases. However, it is very important to know which type of stem cell will be used in which situations, the amount of stem cells to be applied, the method of application, and its physiological/neurophysiological effects. Therefore, it is of great importance to evaluate this subject physiologically. After stem cell application, its safety and efficacy should be followed for a long time. In the near future, widespread application of regenerative stem cell therapy may be a standard treatment in DR.


Author(s):  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Xin-xing Wan ◽  
Xi-min Hu ◽  
Wen-juan Zhao ◽  
Xiao-xia Ban ◽  
...  

Stem cell therapies have shown promising therapeutic effects in restoring damaged tissue and promoting functional repair in a wide range of human diseases. Generations of insulin-producing cells and pancreatic progenitors from stem cells are potential therapeutic methods for treating diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. However, accumulated evidence has demonstrated that multiple types of programmed cell death (PCD) existed in stem cells post-transplantation and compromise their therapeutic efficiency, including apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms in PCD during stem cell transplantation and targeting cell death signaling pathways are vital to successful stem cell therapies. In this review, we highlight the research advances in PCD mechanisms that guide the development of multiple strategies to prevent the loss of stem cells and discuss promising implications for improving stem cell therapy in diabetes and diabetes-related diseases.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Vandergriff ◽  
James Bizetto Meira de Andrade ◽  
Junnan Tang ◽  
M. Taylor Hensley ◽  
Jorge A. Piedrahita ◽  
...  

Despite the efficacy of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) for treatment of cardiomyopathies, there are many limitations to stem cell therapies. CSC-derived exosomes (CSC-XOs) have been shown to be responsible for a large portion of the regenerative effects of CSCs. Using a mouse model of doxorubicin induced dilated cardiomyopathy, we study the effects of systemic delivery of human CSC-XOs in mice. Mice receiving CSC-XOs showed improved heart function via echocardiography, as well as decreased apoptosis and fibrosis. In spite of using immunocompetent mice and human CSC-XOs, mice showed no adverse immune reaction. The use of CSC-XOs holds promise for overcoming the limitations of stem cells and improving cardiac therapies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. E10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Jin ◽  
Zachary A. Medress ◽  
Tej D. Azad ◽  
Vanessa M. Doulames ◽  
Anand Veeravagu

Recent advances in stem cell biology present significant opportunities to advance clinical applications of stem cell–based therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI). In this review, the authors critically analyze the basic science and translational evidence that supports the use of various stem cell sources, including induced pluripotent stem cells, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. They subsequently explore recent advances in stem cell biology and discuss ongoing clinical translation efforts, including combinatorial strategies utilizing scaffolds, biogels, and growth factors to augment stem cell survival, function, and engraftment. Finally, the authors discuss the evolution of stem cell therapies for SCI by providing an overview of completed (n = 18) and ongoing (n = 9) clinical trials.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navneet Kumar Dubey ◽  
Viraj Krishna Mishra ◽  
Rajni Dubey ◽  
Shabbir Syed-Abdul ◽  
Joseph R. Wang ◽  
...  

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment. Traditional and current surgical treatment procedures for OA are limited and incapable to reverse the damage of articular cartilage. To overcome these limitations, cell-based therapies are currently being employed to repair and regenerate the structure and function of articular tissues. These therapies not only depend upon source and type of stem cells but also on environmental conditions, growth factors, and chemical and mechanical stimuli. Recently, the pluripotent and various multipotent mesenchymal stem cells have been employed for OA therapy, due to their differentiation potential towards chondrogenic lineage. Additionally, the stem cells have also been supplemented with growth factors to achieve higher healing response in osteoarthritic cartilage. In this review, we summarized the current status of stem cell therapies in OA pathophysiology and also highlighted the potential areas of further research needed in regenerative medicine.


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 495-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Navara ◽  
Jacey Hornecker ◽  
Douglas Grow ◽  
Shital Chaudhari ◽  
Peter J. Hornsby ◽  
...  

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