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Stem cells: Biology and clinical potential
Faris Q. B. Alenzi1* and Ali H. Bahkali2
1College
of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Salman University, Al-Kharj,
Saudi Arabia.
2College
of Science, KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
fqalenzi@ksu.edu.sa.
Accepted 28 December, 2011 |
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Stem cell technology has developed rapidly in recent years
to the point that we can now envisage its future use in a
variety of therapeutic areas. This review seeks to summarize
the types and sources of stem cells that may be utilized in
this way, their pattern of development, their plasticity in
terms of differentiation and transdifferentiation, their
ability to self-renew, the privileged microenvironment in
which they are housed, their cell surface markers used to
track them, issues relating to their transfection, and their
fate. Particular reference is made, as prime examples, to
how both the function of mesenchymal and neural stem cells
are being studied experimentally, and currently used
clinically in certain circumstances, towards the ultimate
aim of their mainstream therapeutic use.
Key words:
Stem cells, apoptosis, differentiation, mesenchymal and
neural stem cells, therapy. |
