Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine

Frank J. Dye

by Frank J. Dye (Author)

This handbook reviews the clinical applications of stem cell-based therapy. The book covers the clinical applications of stem cells in cardiovascular diseases, neurological and ocular diseases, pediatrics, and the role of cancer stem cell-derived exosomal microRNA payload in lung cancer. The chapter reviews emerging stem cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches in neurodegenerative diseases. The book further examines the applications of stem cells in various fields of dentistry, and for the regeneration of oral and non-oral tissues. The chapters also explore the application of 3D bioprinting in conjunction with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of bone defects and state-of-the-art technology for bone and cartilage regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells. The book presents stem cell-based therapy against renal, pancreatic, and kidney diseases and examines the advantages of a novel hepatic stem for cirrhotic liver repair and regeneration. Lastly, the book provides methodological and procedural advancements in stem cell-based therapy, including the applications of single-cell sequencing in stem cell research. This handbook is a major one-stop reference for researchers working in regenerative medicine, cellular pharmacology, stem cell research in general, and those involved in specific areas of adult stem cells as well as embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

First of all, the editors of this special volume would like to thank all the authors for their excellent contributions. We would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheper as well as Dr.Marion Hertel and Ingrid Samide fromSpringer for providing the opportunity to compose this volume and Springer for organizational and technical support. Tissue engineering represents one of the major emerging fields in modern biotechnology. Tissue engineering combines different disciplines ranging from biological and material sciences to engineering and clinical disciplines. The aim of tissue engineering is the development of therapeutic approaches to substitute diseased organs or tissues or improve their function. Stem cells are early progenitors that may substitute diseased tissues or provide cues for endogenous healing. Stem cells are present in virtually all tissues. The first chapters describe different sources of stem cells including isolation and expansion. The use of fetal tissues and umbilical cord is discussed as they come from immunoprivileged sites and are considered to be early stem cells. The use of adipose-derived stem cells is discussed as a readily available autologous source. Subsequently, newer techniques for “manufacturing” stem cells from somatic cells using “induced pluripotent stem cell” technology are discussed and described in two chapters. The following chapter deals with bioreactor cultivation of stem cells. Specific tissues such as cartilage and endothelial precursors built the bridge to the last chapters.

Since different types of stem cells for therapeutic applications have recently been proposed, this timely volume explores various sources of stem cells for tissue and organ regeneration and discusses their advantages and limitations. Also discussed are pros and cons for using embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells isolated from postnatal tissues. Different types of adult stem cells for therapeutic applications are also reviewed, including hematopoietic stem cells, epidermal stem cells, endothelial progenitors, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and very small embryonic-like stem cells.