Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy - Volume 16, Issue 7, 2021

In contrast to their almost unlimited potential for expansion in vivo and despite years of dedicated research and optimization of expansion protocols, the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro remains remarkably limited. Increased understanding of the mechanisms that are involved in maintenance, expansion and differentiation of HSCs will enable the development of better protocols for expansion of HS Read More

Imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants causes oxidative stress by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tissues and organs. Oxidative stress occurs in many damaged conditions, and the increase of ROS and reduction of antioxidants enhances inflammation, apoptosis, fibrosis and may worsen the pathology leading to organ failure. The potential therapies aim to increase antioxidants and decr Read More

Cancer stem cells represent a rare subpopulation of cancer cells carrying self-renewal and differentiation features in multi-step tumorigenesis, tumor recurrence and metastasis. Proinflammatory stress is highly associated with cancer stemness via induction of cytokines, tumorpromoting immune cells and cancer stemness-related signaling pathways. This review summarizes the major pro-inflammatory factors affecting ca Read More

Umbilical cord and cord blood are acceptable as attractive sources of mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells, since their collection is non-invasive, painless, and does not evoke the ethical concerns. Microorganism-stem cell interaction plays an important role in stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, secretion profile and death. In the literature, few researchers are examining the relationship between pathogenic and co Read More

Telomeres are the protective end caps of eukaryotic chromosomes and they determine the proliferative lifespan of somatic cells, as the protectors of cell replication. Telomere length in leucocytes reflects telomere length in other somatic cells. Leucocyte telomere length can be a biomarker of human ageing. The risk of diseases associated with reduced cell proliferation and tissue degeneration, including aging or aging-associat Read More

The Hippo pathway, with its core components and the downstream transcriptional coactivators, controls the self-renewable capacity and stemness features of stem cells and serves as a stress response pathway by regulating proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The Hippo pathway interaction with other signaling pathways plays an important role in response to various stress stimuli arising from energy metabolism, h Read More

Osteoarthritis (OA), characterized by the degeneration and destruction of articular cartilage, is one of the most significant public health issues around the world. In the course of OA, inflammatory response is an important factor leading to cartilage destruction and exacerbation of symptoms. The low immunogenicity, multi-directional differentiation and high portability properties make bone marrow mesenchymal st Read More

Transmembrane integrin receptors represent a major component of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) communications that mediate cellular biological activities, including proliferation and differentiation. Stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), have rapidly emerged as promising therapies for various diseases. Dynamic links exist between extracellular and intracellular environments that profoundly influence the ce Read More

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promising therapeutic effects in a wide variety of medical conditions, including neurodegenerative disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Although preliminary research has emphasized the ability of MSCs to engraft at sites of injury, several studies have revealed that MSCs mediate their effects through the release of various paracrine factors and through their antioxidant, an Read More

Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors and play significant roles in tumorigenesis, metastasis, resistance to treatment, and relapse. They are defined by self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation, and aggressiveness. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and acetylation, histone modifications, and non-coding. RNAs (ncRNAs), are partly responsible Read More

Liver disease (hepatic disease) adversely affects the normal function of the liver and causes liver problems. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) can be predicted by primary human hepatocytes. However, the sources of hepatocytes for large-scale drug toxicity screening are limited. To solve this problem, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and hepatic stem cells (HSCs) have emerged as attractive cell s Read More

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial and complex disease involving the arterial intima of the circulatory system. The main risk factors of atherosclerosis are diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemic states, smoking, mental stress, unhealthy diet, and a lack of physical activity. Recent studies have shown that dyslipidemia, inflammation and immune cells are involved in all stages of the development of atheroscle Read More