Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fragile x syndrome [39], cystic fibrosis, and numerous other diseases
[38, 40]. Obviously, these hESC lines will be of great importance for
drug-screening purposes for such incurable diseases.
These difficulties aside, there is a general consensus that given
the time and funding to develop the proper protocols, hESCs will
constitute the basis for countless innovations on a long list of various
medical fields. Drug discovery is one of the top issues on that list.
9.3.3
Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Any adult tissue that harbors regenerative or self-repairing
capabilities on some level is highly likely to contain stem cells that,
despite their slightly more diff erentiated state, retain the aptitude to
reproduce the variety of cells that form that tissue.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the several types of
adult stem cells. This specific type of adult stem cell has received
great attention due to its potential in regenerative medicine [41].
In the early 1970s, the first adult MSCs were isolated and were
shown to retain the capability to create bone and reproduce an
hematopoietic microenvironment [42]. These cells have shown the
capability to diff erentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes,
myoblasts, and other mesenchymal cell types [43-46] and thus are
prime candidates as screening tools for a variety of conditions that
involve such cell types. A unique advantage of hMSC that makes
them highly useful for HCS methodologies resides in the fact that
they are able to survive for prolonged periods of time under serum-
free culture conditions without altering their stem cell properties
described above. Properties like the pattern of surface markers and
the ability to diff erentiate to either osteoblasts or adipocytes are
retained under these conditions [47].
The serum-free conditions allow direct identification of the
biological eff ects of compounds on these cells without possible serum
interference [48]. This fact will certainly present hMSC from bone
marrow as a valuable platform for drug screenings and personalized
medicine.
9.3.4
Induced Pluriputent Stem Cells
Another prospect by which to circumvent the problems embodied
in the use of hESCs is the use of a new and extremely promising
Search WWH ::
Custom Search