Preclinical Experience in Stem Cell Therapy for Digestive Tract Diseases.
10.4166/kjg.2011.58.3.133
- Author:
Myung Shin JEON
1
;
Soon Sun HONG
Author Information
1. Clinical Research Center, School of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea. hongs@inha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:English Abstract ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Review
- Keywords:
Stem cells;
Digestive tract;
Liver failure;
Pancreatitis
- MeSH:
Adult Stem Cells/cytology/*transplantation;
Digestive System Diseases/*therapy;
Drug Evaluation, Preclinical;
Humans
- From:The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
2011;58(3):133-138
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Adult stem cells are multipotent and self-renewing cells that contain several functions; i) migration and homing potential: stem cells can migrate to injured and inflamed tissues. ii) differentiation potential: stem cells which migrated to injured tissues can be differentiated into multiple cell types for repairing and regenerating the tissues. iii) immunomodulatory properties: stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells can suppress immune system such as inflammation. All those characteristics might be useful for the treatment of the digestive tract diseases which are complex and encompass a broad spectrum of different pathogenesis. Preclinical stem cell therapy showed some promising results, especially in liver failure, pancreatitis, sepsis, and inflammatory bowel disease. If we can understand more about the mechanism of stem cell action, stem cell therapy can become a promising alternative treatment for refractory digestive disease in the near future. In this review, we summarized current preclinical experiences in diseases of the digestive tract using stem cells.
