Stem cells therapies for gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
Stem cells therapies represent a new field of biomedical science which could provide in the future the cure for diseases until now incurable. The present paper reviews current knowledge on key biological properties of stem cells with focus on hepatic and gastrointestinal stem cells and current applications of stem cells therapies in gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Potential clinical applications for stem cells therapies have been suggested from animal model trials in acute liver failure, inherited metabolic liver disease and endstage liver disease (cirrhosis). Hematopoietic autologous stem cells transplantation has already been successfully performed in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease or patients with refractory celiac disease with aberrant T cells. Future stem cells therapies for gastrointestinal postoperative or Crohn's disease fistulas are currently under investigation. More research is needed for perfecting stem cells harvesting protocols from different sources, in vitro expansion and differentiation protocols which can be used in phase II and III clinical trials.
Iacob
R
R
University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania. raziacob@gmail.com
Sîrbu-Boeţi
P
P
Iacob
S
S
Dima
S
S
Gheorghe
C
C
Gheorghe
L
L
Popescu
I
I
D000818:Animals; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000628:therapy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome