Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Advances in stem cell biology and the discovery of pluripotent stem cells have made the prospect of cell therapy and tissue regeneration a clinical reality. Cell therapies hold great promise to repair, restore, replace or regenerate affected organs and may perform better than any pharmacological or mechanical device. There is an accumulating body of evidence supporting the contribution of adult stem cells, in particular those of bone marrow origin, to liver and pancreatic islet cell regeneration. In this review, we will focus on the cell therapy for the diseased liver and pancreas by adult haematopoietic stem cells, as well as their possible contribution and application to tissue regeneration. Furthermore, recent progress in the generation, culture and targeted differentiation of human haematopoietic stem cells to hepatic and pancreatic lineages will be discussed. We will also explore the possibility that stem cell technology may lead to the development of clinical modalities for human liver disease and diabetes.

Recent evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) selectively proliferate to tumors and contribute to the formation of tumor-associated stroma. The biological rationale for tumor recruitment of MSC remains unclear but may represent an effort of the host to blunt tumor cell growth and improve survival. There is mounting experimental evidence that normal stromal cells can revert malignant cell behavior, and separate studies have demonstrated that stromal cells can enhance tumor progression after acquisition of tumor-like genetic lesions. Together, these observations support the rationale for modifying normal MSC to deliver therapeutic proteins directly into the tumor microenvironment. Modified MSC can produce high concentrations of antitumor proteins directly within the Tumor mass, which have been shown to blunt tumor growth kinetics in experimental animal model systems. In this chapter we will address the biological properties of MSC within the tumor microenvironment and discuss the potential use of MSC and other bone marrow-derived cell populations as delivery vehicles for antitumor proteins.