Therapeutic effect of adipose-derived stem cells injected into pericardial cavity in rat heart failure

Advancements in Stem Cell Research for Effective Therapies Against Alzheimer's Disease: Current Investigation and Future Insight

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly, affecting approximately 50 million individuals globally with significant impose in health and financial burdens. Despite extensive research, no current treatment effectively halts the progression of AD, primarily due to its complex pathophysiology of the disease and the limitations of available therapeutic approaches. In this context, stem cell transplantation has emerged as a promising treatment strategy, harnessing the regenerative capabilities of various stem cell types, including neural stem cells (NSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This review explores the potential of stem cell-based therapies in AD, emphasizing the necessity for continued innovation to overcome existing challenges and enhance therapeutic efficacy. Briefly, NSCs have shown potential in improving cognitive function and reducing AD pathology through targeted transplantation and neuroprotection; however, challenges such as optimizing transplantation protocols and ensuring effective cell integration persist. Concurrently, ESCs, with their pluripotent nature, present opportunities for modulating AD and generating therapeutic neurons, but ethical concerns and immunogenicity present significant obstacles to clinical application. Moreover, MSCs have demonstrated potential in ameliorating AD-related pathology and promoting neurogenesis, offering a more accessible alternative with fewer ethical constraints. The review concludes that the combinatory approaches of different stem cells may provide synergistic benefits in addressing AD-related pathophysiology, warranting further exploration in future research.

Preclinical and mechanistic perspectives on adipose-derived stem cells for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease treatment

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) are a promising therapeutic modality for cardiovascular diseases due to their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic properties. This manuscript explores the current status, challenges, and future directions of AD-MSC therapies, focusing on their application in atherosclerosis (AS), myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure (HF). Preclinical studies highlight AD-MSC's ability to stabilise atherosclerotic plaques, reduce inflammation, and enhance myocardial repair through mechanisms such as macrophage polarisation, endothelial protection, and angiogenesis. Genetically and pharmacologically modified AD-MSCs, including those overexpressing SIRT1, IGF-1, and PD-L1 or primed with bioactive compounds, exhibit superior efficacy compared to unmodified cells. These modifications enhance cell survival, immunopotency, and reparative capacity, showcasing the potential for tailored therapies. However, clinical translation faces significant hurdles. While recent clinical trials have confirmed the safety of AD-MSC therapy, their efficacy remains inconsistent, necessitating further optimisation of patient selection, dosing strategies, and delivery methods. Donor variability, particularly in patients with co-morbidities like type 2 diabetes (T2D) or obesity, impairs AD-MSC efficacy. Emerging research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from AD-MSC offers a promising cell-free alternative, retaining the therapeutic benefits while mitigating risks. Future perspectives emphasise the need for multidisciplinary approaches to overcome these limitations. Strategies include refining genetic modifications, exploring EV-based therapies, and integrating personalised medicine and advanced diagnostic tools. By addressing these challenges, AD-MSC therapies hold the potential to revolutionise the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, providing innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes.

The Role of Stem Cells in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death and include several vascular and cardiac disorders, such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and heart failure. Multiple treatment strategies exist for CVDs, but there is a need for regenerative treatment of damaged heart. Stem cells are a broad variety of cells with a great differentiation potential that have regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. Multiple studies have evaluated the efficacy of stem cells in CVDs, such as mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. These studies have demonstrated that stem cells can improve the left ventricle ejection fraction, reduce fibrosis, and decrease infarct size. Other studies have investigated potential methods to improve the survival, engraftment, and functionality of stem cells in the treatment of CVDs. The aim of the present review is to summarize the current evidence on the role of stem cells in the treatment of CVDs, and how to improve their efficacy.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Angiogenetic Potential and Utility in Tissue Engineering

Adipose tissue (AT) is a large and important energy storage organ as well as an endocrine organ with a critical role in many processes. Additionally, AT is an enormous and easily accessible source of multipotent cell types used in our day for all types of tissue regeneration. The ability of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to differentiate into other types of cells, such as endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, is used in tissue engineering in order to promote/stimulate the process of angiogenesis. Being a key for future successful clinical applications, functional vascular networks in engineered tissue are targeted by numerous in vivo and ex vivo studies. The article reviews the angiogenic potential of ADSCs and explores their capacity in the field of tissue engineering (TE).