Stem cell transplantation for motor neuron disease: current approaches and future perspectives.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Gowing G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3210365 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Neurodegenerative diseases are a global health issue with inadequate therapeutic options and an inability to restore the damaged nervous system. With advances in technology, health scientists continue to identify new approaches to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Lost or injured neurons and glial cells can lead to the development of several neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. In recent years, neurons and glial cells have successfully been generated from stem cells in the laboratory utilizing cell culture technologies, fueling efforts to develop stem cell-based transplantation therapies for human patients. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or differentiate into a germ cell with specialized characteristics, such as muscle cells, red blood cells, or brain cells. Although several obstacles remain before stem cells can be used for clinical applications, including some potential disadvantages that must be overcome, this cellular development represents a potential pathway through which patients may eventually achieve the ability to live more normal lives. In this review, we summarize the stem cell-based therapies that have been explored for various neurological disorders, discuss the potential advantages and drawbacks of these therapies, and examine future directions for this field.
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Project description:Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the treatment of choice for a large number of malignant and nonmalignant (inherited) diseases of the hematopoietic system. Nevertheless, non-HLA identical transplantations are complicated by a severe T-cell immunodeficiency associated with a high rate of infection, relapse and graft-versus-host disease. Initial recovery of T-cell immunity following HSCT relies on peripheral expansion of memory T cells mostly driven by cytokines. The reconstitution of a diverse, self-tolerant, and naive T-cell repertoire, however, may take up to 2 years and crucially relies on the interaction of T-cell progenitors with the host thymic epithelium, which may be altered by GvHD, age or transplant-related toxicities. In this review, we summarize current concepts to stimulate reconstitution of a peripheral and polyclonal T-cell compartment following allogeneic transplantation such as graft manipulation (i.e., T-cell depletion), transfusion of ex vivo manipulated donor T cells or the exogenous administration of cytokines and growth factors to stimulate host-thymopoiesis with emphasis on approaches which have led to clinical trials. Particular attention will be given to the development of cellular therapies such as the ex vivo generation of T-cell precursors to fasten generation of a polyclonal and functional host-derived T-cell repertoire. Having been tested so far only in preclinical mouse models, clinical studies are now on the way to validate the efficacy of such T-cell progenitors in enhancing immune reconstitution following HSCT in various clinical settings. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;00:1-8.
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