No abstract available.
Stem Cells*

No abstract available.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Transplantation, Heterologous*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Plastics* ; Stem Cells*

No abstract available.
Tissue Therapy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) without cure remains as a serious health issue in the modern society. The major neuropathological alterations in AD are characterized by chronic neuroinflammation and neuronal loss due to neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau, plaques of β-amyloid (Aβ) and various metabolic dysfunctions. Due to the multifaceted nature of AD pathology and our limited understanding on its etiology, AD is difficult to be treated with currently available pharmaceuticals. This unmet need, however, could be met with stem cell technology that can be engineered to replace neuronal loss in AD patients. Although stem cell therapy for AD is only in its development stages, it has vast potential uses ranging from replacement therapy to disease modelling and drug development. Current progress with stem cells in animal model studies offers promising results for the new prospective treatment for AD. This review will discuss the characteristics of AD, current progress in stem cell therapy and remaining challenges and promises in its development.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Humans ; Models, Animal ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; Neurogenesis ; Neurons ; Pathology ; Prospective Studies* ; Stem Cells* ; Transplantation

Stem cell therapy is providing a new paradigm of medical approach in many intractable diseases by regenerating injured or degenerated tissues and is opening the era of regenerative medicine. While the validity of newly discovered multipotentiality of various stem cells are still under investigation, scientists are making a significant progress in the medical application of stem cell therapy in the area of adult stem cell therapy, particularly using the hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells. These hematopoietic stem cells could be useful in cell therapies for liver diseases, heart diseases and neuronal diseases. Furthermore, due to their ability to induce donor-specific immune tolerance, these cells can be used in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases. With further development of a high-performance cell therapeutic strategy, more intractable disease will be managed by stem cell therapy.
Adult Stem Cells ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy* ; Heart Diseases ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Immune Tolerance ; Liver Diseases ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Neurons ; Organ Transplantation ; Regenerative Medicine ; Stem Cells ; Transplants

Stem cell therapy has been taken as a highly promising area of future medicine due to its potential for providing new therapeutic modalities for debilitating, incurable diseases. In addition, stem cell therapy holds promise for its great industrial value due to the rapid growth of the market size. Recently, various types of stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells are being developed based on the conceptual revolution with regard to cell fate decisions. However, so far, most stem cell therapies have been performed using tissue-specific adult stem cells. Nevertheless, except for a few cases of stem cells such as hematopoietic stem cells that can regenerate hematopoietic tissue, a large proportion of stem cells, especially mesenchymal stromal cells, primarily work through paracrine functioning. The short life span of the injected stem cells and their paracrine mode of action pose a limitation to the maximum therapeutic efficacy that can be achieved from the current stem cell therapy model, warranting further research and development to enhance their efficacy. Despite the fact that stem cell therapies largely remain in the research stage, the public has expectations of rapid results and even fanaticism, leading to unauthorized stem cell practices and medical tourism. Moreover, the temptation to expedite the industrialization of stem cell therapeutics by simplifying the authorization process could increase the risk of endangering the rights of patients. Thus, stem cell therapy can become a 'hope' when society can overcome the stem cell 'hype'.
Adult Stem Cells ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Medical Tourism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Stem Cells

No abstract available.
*Stem Cell Research

No abstract available.
Stem Cells