by Dr Simona Pop
Neurodegeneration
Research has been conducted on the effects of stem cells on brain degeneration, such as in Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s.
Preliminary studies related to multiple sclerosis have been conducted, and a 2020 phase 2 trial found significantly improved outcomes for mesenchymal stem cell-treated patients. In January 2021, the FDA approved the first clinical trial for an investigational stem cell therapy to restore lost brain cells in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease.
Healthy adult brains contain neural stem cells, which divide to maintain general stem-cell numbers or become progenitor cells. Pharmacological activation of endogenous neural stem cells has been reported to induce neuroprotection and behavioral recovery.
Brain and spinal cord injury
Stroke and traumatic brain injury lead to cell death, characterized by a loss of neurons and oligodendrocytes within the brain. Clinical and animal studies have been conducted on the experimental use of stem cells in spinal cord injury cases.
Frailty syndrome
In 2017, a small-scale study on individuals 60 years or older with aging frailty showed significant improvements in physical performance measures after intravenous treatment with Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from healthy young donors. MSC helps block the inflammation by decreasing it, causing the effects of frailty to reverse.[47]
Heart
In 2012, stem cells were studied in people with severe heart disease. Among several clinical trials reporting that adult stem cell therapy is safe and effective, actual evidence of benefit has been reported. Some preliminary clinical trials achieved only modest improvements in heart function following bone marrow stem cell therapy.
Myocardial infarction
Stem-cell therapy for the treatment of myocardial infarction usually uses autologous bone marrow stem cells, but other types of adult stem cells may be used, such as adipose-derived stem cells. Possible mechanisms of recovery include:
- Generation of heart muscle cells
- Stimulating growth of new blood vessels to repopulate damaged heart tissue and
- Secretion of growth factors.
Cochlear hair cell regrowth
Heller has reported success in re-growing cochlea hair cells with the use of embryonic stem cells. In a 2019 review that looked at hearing regeneration and regenerative medicine, stem cell-derived otic progenitors have the potential to greatly improve hearing.
Blindness and vision impairment
Since 2003, researchers have successfully transplanted corneal stem cells into damaged eyes to restore vision.
Pancreatic beta cells
People with Type 1 diabetes lose the function of insulin-producing beta cells within the pancreas. Scientists have coaxed embryonic stem cells to turn into beta cells in the lab. There are adverse effects of high glucose concentrations on stem cell therapy, however.
Orthopedic
As of 2017, use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adult stem cells was under preliminary research for potential orthopedic applications in bone and muscle trauma, cartilage repair, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc surgery, rotator cuff surgery, and musculoskeletal disorders, among others. Other areas of orthopedic research for uses of MSCs include tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Wound healing
Stem cells can also be used to stimulate the growth of human tissues. In an adult, wounded tissue is most often replaced by scar tissue, which is characterized in the skin by disorganized collagen structure, loss of hair follicles, and irregular vascular structure. In the case of wounded fetal tissue, however, the wounded tissue is replaced with normal tissue through the activity of stem cells. Because of the general healing capabilities of stem cells, they have gained interest in treating cutaneous wounds, such as skin cancer.
HIV/AIDS
In 2013, scientists have been investigating an alternative approach to treating HIV-1/AIDS, based on the creation of a disease-resistant immune system through transplantation of autologous, gene-modified (HIV-1-resistant) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (GM- HSPC).
