Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9
Stem Cells in Regenerative Therapy
Mankind is searching for a key to longevity and there is no
doubt that stem cells could be an important answer to this
problem .
Ratajczak M. (-present)
This chapter will teach you about origin, classifi cation, features of stem cells and
fundaments of stem cell therapy as the segment of cellular-based therapy. Generally,
the Stem Cell (SC)—compartment is divided into embryonic and tissue specifi c or
adult SCs. Paul Niehans, M.D., (1882-1971), the originator of cell therapy, wrote:
“
Cellular therapy is a method of treating the whole organism on a biological basis,
capable of revitalizing the human organism with its trillions of cells by bringing to
it those embryonic or young cells which it needs. Cells from all organs are at our
disposal; the doctor's art is to choose the right cells. Selective cellular therapy
offers new life to the ailing or diseased organism
”
.
The fi rst use of stem cells in humans was done by physicians who were tempted
to use them in trying to treat hematological disorders. Stem cell transplantation was
pioneered using bone-marrow-derived stem cells by a team at the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center from the 1950s through the 1970s led by
Edward Donnall
Thomas
, whose work was later recognized with a Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine [
1
]. Thomas' work showed that bone marrow cells infused intravenously
could repopulate the bone marrow and produce new blood cells. His work also
reduced the likelihood of developing a life-threatening complication called graft-
versus-host disease. The fi rst physician to perform a successful human bone marrow
transplant was
Robert A. Good
at the University of Minnesota in 1968 [
1
]. With the
availability of the stem cell growth factors (GM-CSF and G-CSF), most hemato-
poietic stem cell transplantation procedures are now performed using stem cells
collected from the peripheral blood, rather than from the bone marrow. Collecting
peripheral blood stem cells provides a bigger graft, does not require the donor to be
