Since human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were first isolated from blastocysts in the late 1990s, the field of stem cell biology has been advancing at a staggering rate. The possibility that one cell can endlessly divide and differentiate into any cell type within the human body has evoked great expectations for stem cells to transform modern medicine. However, the use of human embryos to derive these cells has been highly debated and raises complex ethical and political controversies.
The possibility of a morally superior stem cell was presented when Takahashi and Yamanaka published their ground-breaking paper in 2006, showing that the upregulation of four key transcription factors, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc, could reprogram differentiated somatic cells to a pluripotent state, without the requirement for an embryo. They called these new cells “induced pluripotent stem cells” (iPSCs) and since then iPSC technology has provided the opportunity for stem cell biology to move away from embryo destruction and paved the way for a new era of personalized medicine.
As our knowledge of stem cell biology has progressed, more stem cells, of varying degrees of developmental potency, have been discovered. It is now generally accepted that in virtually all tissues of the human body, lies a discrete population of adult stem cells (ASC) capable of self- renewal which can replenish cells that are lost through normal repair, disease, and injury. The role that ASCs is having on the field of regenerative medicine is significant, in particular Hematopoietic Stem Cells (Blood Stem Cells), Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), and Neural Stem Cells. At present, a quick search of the clinical trials that were registered in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial website ClinicalTrials.gov using the search term “stem cells” will return over 6,000 clinical trials involving stem cells ranging from pluripotent stem cells, such as ESCs and iPSCs, to multipotent and unipotent stem cells, such as MSCs and muscle stem cells. This considerable quantity of stem cell related clinical trials is indicative of the tremendous impact that stem cell biology is having on the future of medicine.
We welcome original research, case reports, review articles, and opinion/perspective articles on:
• ESCs ethical issues
• Isolation and characterization of ESCs
• ESCs pros and cons
• Pre-clinical ESC transplantation in vivo
• iPSCs pros and cons
• Production and characterization of iPSCs
• Pre-clinical iPSC transplantation in vivo
• Establishing GMP grade iPSCs
• Pre-clinical MSC transplantation in vivo
• Tissue specific stem cells
• MSC transplantation in human
• Clinical use of stem cells to date
This Research Topic aims to advance the research and knowledge of stem cells, from pre-clinical studies to clinical application and treatment of human diseases.
Since human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were first isolated from blastocysts in the late 1990s, the field of stem cell biology has been advancing at a staggering rate. The possibility that one cell can endlessly divide and differentiate into any cell type within the human body has evoked great expectations for stem cells to transform modern medicine. However, the use of human embryos to derive these cells has been highly debated and raises complex ethical and political controversies.
The possibility of a morally superior stem cell was presented when Takahashi and Yamanaka published their ground-breaking paper in 2006, showing that the upregulation of four key transcription factors, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc, could reprogram differentiated somatic cells to a pluripotent state, without the requirement for an embryo. They called these new cells “induced pluripotent stem cells” (iPSCs) and since then iPSC technology has provided the opportunity for stem cell biology to move away from embryo destruction and paved the way for a new era of personalized medicine.
As our knowledge of stem cell biology has progressed, more stem cells, of varying degrees of developmental potency, have been discovered. It is now generally accepted that in virtually all tissues of the human body, lies a discrete population of adult stem cells (ASC) capable of self- renewal which can replenish cells that are lost through normal repair, disease, and injury. The role that ASCs is having on the field of regenerative medicine is significant, in particular Hematopoietic Stem Cells (Blood Stem Cells), Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), and Neural Stem Cells. At present, a quick search of the clinical trials that were registered in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial website ClinicalTrials.gov using the search term “stem cells” will return over 6,000 clinical trials involving stem cells ranging from pluripotent stem cells, such as ESCs and iPSCs, to multipotent and unipotent stem cells, such as MSCs and muscle stem cells. This considerable quantity of stem cell related clinical trials is indicative of the tremendous impact that stem cell biology is having on the future of medicine.
We welcome original research, case reports, review articles, and opinion/perspective articles on:
• ESCs ethical issues
• Isolation and characterization of ESCs
• ESCs pros and cons
• Pre-clinical ESC transplantation in vivo
• iPSCs pros and cons
• Production and characterization of iPSCs
• Pre-clinical iPSC transplantation in vivo
• Establishing GMP grade iPSCs
• Pre-clinical MSC transplantation in vivo
• Tissue specific stem cells
• MSC transplantation in human
• Clinical use of stem cells to date
This Research Topic aims to advance the research and knowledge of stem cells, from pre-clinical studies to clinical application and treatment of human diseases.