Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a recent development which has brought a promise of great therapeutic values. The previous technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been ineffective in humans. Recent discoveries show that human fibroblasts can be reprogrammed by a transient over expression of a small number of genes; they can undergo induced pluripotency. iPS were first produced in 2006. By 2008, work was underway to remove the potential oncogenes from their structure. In 2009, protein iPS (piPS) cells were discovered. Surface markers and reporter genes play an important role in stem cell research. Clinical applications include generation of self renewing stem cells, tissue replacement and many more. Stem cell therapy has the ability to dramatically change the treatment of human diseases.
Animals ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; physiology ; transplantation ; Mice

Breast Neoplasms ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; transplantation

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs), a heterogeneous group of immune-mediated disorders, are a major and growing health problem. Although AIDs are currently treated primarily with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, the use of stem cell transplantation in patients with AIDs is becoming increasingly common. However, stem cell transplantation therapy has limitations, including a shortage of available stem cells and immune rejection of cells from nonautologous sources. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, which allows the generation of patient-specific pluripotent stem cells, could offer an alternative source for clinical applications of stem cell therapies in AID patients. We used nonintegrating oriP/EBNA-1-based episomal vectors to reprogram dermal fibroblasts from patients with AIDs such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The pluripotency and multilineage differentiation capacity of each patient-specific iPSC line was validated. The safety of these iPSCs for use in stem cell transplantation is indicated by the fact that all AID-specific iPSCs are integrated transgene free. Finally, all AID-specific iPSCs derived in this study could be differentiated into cells of hematopoietic and mesenchymal lineages in vitro as shown by flow cytometric analysis and induction of terminal differentiation potential. Our results demonstrate the successful generation of integration-free iPSCs from patients with AS, SS and SLE. These findings support the possibility of using iPSC technology in autologous and allogeneic cell replacement therapy for various AIDs, including AS, SS and SLE.
Autoimmune Diseases* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Transgenes

Stem cell research is a innovative technology that focuses on using undifferentiated cells able to self-renew through the asymmetrical or symmetrical divisions. Three types of stem cells have been studied in laboratory including embryonic stem cell, adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass and it can give rise to any fetal or adult cell type. Adult stem cells are multipotent, have the ability to differentiate into a limited number of specialized cell types, and have been obtained from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta and adipose tissue. Stem cell therapy is the most promising therapy for several degenerative and devastating diseases including digestive tract disease such as liver failure, inflammatory bowel disease, Celiac sprue, and pancreatitis. Further understanding of biological properties of stem cells will lead to safe and successful stem cell therapies.
Adult Stem Cells/cytology/metabolism/transplantation ; Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology/metabolism/transplantation ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology/metabolism/transplantation ; Stem Cells/*cytology/metabolism

Stem cells are attracting attention as a key element in future medicine, satisfying the desire to live a healthier life with the possibility that they can regenerate tissue damaged or degenerated by disease or aging. Stem cells are defined as undifferentiated cells that have the ability to replicate and differentiate themselves into various tissues cells. Stem cells, commonly encountered in clinical or preclinical stages, are largely classified into embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Recently, stem cell transplantation has been frequently applied to the treatment of pain as an alternative or promising approach for the treatment of severe osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, and intractable musculoskeletal pain which do not respond to conventional medicine. The main idea of applying stem cells to neuropathic pain is based on the ability of stem cells to release neurotrophic factors, along with providing a cellular source for replacing the injured neural cells, making them ideal candidates for modulating and possibly reversing intractable neuropathic pain. Even though various differentiation capacities of stem cells are reported, there is not enough knowledge and technique to control the differentiation into desired tissues in vivo. Even though the use of stem cells is still in the very early stages of clinical use and raises complicated ethical problems, the future of stem cells therapies is very bright with the help of accumulating evidence and technology.
Adult ; Adult Stem Cells ; Aging ; Cell Differentiation ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Neuralgia ; Osteoarthritis ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells

Spinal cord injury is a difficult medical problem and current therapeutic methods could not obtain satisfactory results. Recent 20 years, stem cell technology developed rapidly, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells were used for treating neurological disease and nerve injury of animal models and the clinical results were confirmed. It provided a new prospect for the treatment of nerve injury at the cellular level. However,due to technical and ethical problems, it is difficult to obtain the appropriate cells that can be applied to the human being. Recently, induced pluripotent stem cells were developed as a new method for the treatment of spinal cord injuries by the autologous transplantation. Starting from this work, the purpose of this review is to assess the differentiate ability of induced pluripotent stem cells into neurocyte and review the latest developments in this area.
Humans ; Neoplasms ; etiology ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; pathology ; therapy ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods

OBJECTIVE To generate hemophilia A (HA) patient-specific inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and induce endothelial differentiation. METHODS Tubular epithelial cells were isolated and cultured from the urine of HA patients. The iPSCs were generated by forced expression of Yamanaka factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4) using retroviruses and characterized by cell morphology, pluripotent marker staining and in vivo differentiation through teratoma formation. Induced endothelial differentiation of the iPSCs was achieved with the OP9 cell co-culture method. RESULTS Patient-specific iPSCs were generated from urine cells of the HA patients, which could be identified by cell morphology, pluripotent stem cell surface marker staining and in vivo differentiation of three germ layers. The teratoma experiment has confirmed that such cells could differentiate into endothelial cells expressing the endothelial-specific markers CD144, CD31 and vWF. CONCLUSION HA patient-specific iPSCs could be generated from urine cells and can differentiate into endothelial cells. This has provided a new HA disease modeling approach and may serve as an applicable autologous cell source for gene correction and cell therapy studies for HA.
Cell Differentiation ; Hemophilia A ; pathology ; therapy ; urine ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Urine ; cytology

The prevalence of renal disease continues to increase worldwide. When normal kidney is injured, the damaged renal tissue undergoes pathological and physiological events that lead to acute and chronic kidney diseases, which frequently progress to end stage renal failure. Current treatment of these renal pathologies includes dialysis, which is incapable of restoring full renal function. To address this issue, cell-based therapy has become a potential therapeutic option to treat renal pathologies. Recent development in cell therapy has demonstrated promising therapeutic outcomes, in terms of restoration of renal structure and function impaired by renal disease. This review focuses on the cell therapy approaches for the treatment of kidney diseases, including various cell sources used, as well recent advances made in preclinical and clinical studies.
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy/*methods ; Fetal Stem Cells/transplantation ; Humans ; Kidney/cytology ; Kidney Diseases/*therapy ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/transplantation ; Stem Cell Transplantation/methods

Cord blood (CB) has been used as an important source for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and has been stored in public CB banks (CBBs) worldwide since the mid-1990s. Recently, the application of cell-based therapy using CB has expanded its clinical utility for various refractory diseases and immunologic diseases through the manufacture of mesenchymal stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells and the isolation of mononuclear cells from CB. In this review, I briefly summarize the biologic characteristics and banking process of CB, as well as the current status of public and private CBBs. I also review the current status of stem cell transplantation and cell-based therapy using CBs. Finally, I suggest strategies of banking CBs in anticipation of future medical advances.
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Cryopreservation ; Fetal Blood ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Immune System Diseases ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Population Characteristics ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Transplantation

Muscle atrophy caused by nerve injury is a common and difficult clinical problem. The development of stem cell researches has opened up a new way for the treatment of nerve injury-induced muscle atrophy. The induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)can differentiate into various types of cells and have more advantages than embryonic stem cells (ESCs). After being transplanted into the damaged area, iPSCs are guided by neurogenic signals to the lesion sites, to repair the damaged nerve, promote generation of axon myelination, rebuild neural circuits and restore physiological function. Meanwhile, iPSCs can also differentiate into muscle cells and promote muscle tissue regeneration. Therefore, it would be possible to attenuate muscle atrophy caused by nerve injury with iPSCs treatment.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Muscular Atrophy ; therapy