Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4b.3.2
Several Adult Stem/Progenitor Cell Sheets for
Cardiovascular Disease
Although various therapies have already been used for cardiovascular
disease, the disease is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality,
especially in developed countries. Cell-based therapy and tissue
engineering have also been focused on in the field of cardiovascular
disease. Since clinically available pulsatile cell sources have not yet
been established, alternative adult stem/progenitor cells are being
investigated as possible clinical cell sources. These include skeletal
myoblasts, bone marrow-derived cells, endothelial progenitor
cells, and cardiac stem cells, and many of these cells have already
been applied in various clinical trials [3, 25-27]. Clinical trials
using engineered 3D tissues using bone marrow-derived cells and
a 3D collagen type I matrix have also started [7, 8]. Several cell
sheets fabricated by using autologous adult stem/progenitor cells
(skeletal myoblasts, adipose-derived and menstrual blood-derived
mesenchymal stem cells, and cardiac progenitor cells) have also
already been used for curing damaged hearts in various animal
models and show good therapeutic effects [14, 15]. The therapeutic
efficacy of cell sheet transplantation is found to be more effective
and reliable than the injection of dissociated cells, because of the
higher cell survival without cell loss after transplantation. Clinical
trials using autologous myoblast sheets are now in progress [28].
4b.3.3
Periodontal Ligament Cell Sheets for Periodontal
Tissue Regeneration
Periodontal disease is bacterial infection-induced inflammation of
the periodontal tissues, causing pathological alterations in the tooth-
supporting tissues and may finally lead to tooth loss. The disease
is also associated with several other systemic diseases, including
cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes
mellitus [29-31]. Periodontal ligament (PDL)-derived cell sheets
have been applied for regenerating damaged periodontal tissue [32-
37]. PDL cell sheets have been transplanted onto dental root surfaces
in several PDL-defective animal models. While a single PDL cell
sheet can regenerate cementum and PDL tissue, transplantation of a
triple-layered PDL cell sheet induces a more complete regeneration
