Embryonic Stem Cells – VJRegenMed

Evolution of cell therapy for cardiovascular disease

admin_vjr_user — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 12:26:06 +0000

Stefan Janssens, MD, PhD, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, describes the evolving landscape of regenerative cell-based therapies for cardiovascular disease. Lessons learned from early clinical studies led to the investigation of whether cardiac repair mechanisms could be modulated by leveraging the paracrine activity of bone marrow-derived MSCs. Given the reduced cardiomyogenic capacity of these cells, it was later deemed that cardiac progenitor cells have a greater capacity for cardiac muscle regeneration, however, at an insufficient level to mediate a clinical effect. There is therefore ongoing research into the potential application of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac myocytes for the repair of advanced stage of heart failure. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.

Advances in organ bioengineering

admin_vjr_user — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:52:19 +0000

Paolo De Coppi, MD, PhD, FMedSci, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health & NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK, provides an overview of the current landscape of bioengineering for organ replacement and some of the key considerations during the development of tissue-engineered organs, including the types of cell and polymers used. He notes that for the regeneration of simple tissues, autologous somatic cells may be sufficient, however, for more complex organs, pluripotent stem cells would likely be required, which would require immunosuppression upon implantation in order to avoid tissue rejection. Dr De Coppi also describes ongoing research into the use of biliary organoids for the repair of the damaged liver. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.

Identifying issues associated with HSCs

Simon Ng — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 10:32:54 +0000

Ira Espuny-Camacho, PhD, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium, provides an overview of potential challenges in using hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Whilst HSCs can be easily manufactured and are versatile, HSCs derived from embryonic stem cells pose a problem due to ethical concerns. The risk of tumorigenesis as a result of epigenetic instability and immunogenicity are additional issues that need to be overcome, where developing autologous HSC-based therapies will be especially advantageous compared to allogeneic therapies. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).

Promising avenues in extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics

admin_vjr_user — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:06:54 +0000

Eva Rohde, MD, Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria, provides an overview of the current landscape of research into extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapeutics. She notes that in the last decade, the field has moved from basic, discovery research towards translation into the clinic, with a number of approaches currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Dr Rohde describes a number of EV-based therapeutic strategies under investigation, including the use of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived EVs in neurodegenerative disorders, as well as the use of EVs in bone and tendon regeneration. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.

Placental-derived stem cells for neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:50:05 +0000

Anthony Atala, MD, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, discusses the potential use of human placental-derived stem cells (hPSCs) for the treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature newborns. NEC is an intestinal disease with a high mortality rate in neonates and there are currently limited therapeutic options. hPSCs have the capacity to differentiate into the three germ layers and can be expanded in large quantities, however, they do not form teratomas, unlike human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In a recent study, the injection of hPSCs into an experimental animal models of necrotizing enterocolitis resulted in reversal of the disease. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

hESC-derived RPE for dry AMD

admin_vjr_user — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 09:00:56 +0000

Jane Lebkowski, PhD, Regenerative Patch Technologies, Portola Valley, CA, describes ongoing research investigating CPCB-RPE1, a parylene membrane implant coated with human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). CPCB-RPE1 is implanted in the subretinal space and is designed to replace the damaged Bruch’s membrane and dystrophic RPE cells in dry AMD. A recent Phase I/IIa trial (NCT02590692) has demonstrated safety of implantation, as well as improvements in visual acuity in patients with dry AMD that are classed as legally blind. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

Clinical applications of stem cell therapies

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:20:19 +0000

Marc Peschanski, MD, PhD, of the Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases (I-Stem), Paris, France, discusses the scientific basis and clinical applications of stem cell therapies. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Regenerative Medicine (VJRegenMed).