Stem cell-based therapy for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Assessing the safety of stem cell therapeutics

Unprecedented developments in stem cell research herald a new era of hope and expectation for novel therapies. However, they also present a major challenge for regulators since safety assessment criteria, designed for conventional agents, are largely inappropriate for cell-based therapies. This article aims to set out the safety issues pertaining to novel stem cell-derived treatments, to identify knowledge gaps that require further research, and to suggest a roadmap for developing safety assessment criteria. It is essential that regulators, pharmaceutical providers, and safety scientists work together to frame new safety guidelines, based on "acceptable risk," so that patients are adequately protected but the safety "bar" is not set so high that exciting new treatments are lost.

The tumorigenicity of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells

The unique abilities of human pluripotent stem cells to self-renew and to differentiate into cells of the three germ layers make them an invaluable tool for the future of regenerative medicine. However, the same properties also make them tumorigenic, and therefore hinder their clinical application. Hence, the tumorigenicity of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) has been extensively studied. Until recently, it was assumed that human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) would behave like their embryonic counterparts in respect to their tumorigenicity. However, a rapidly accumulating body of evidence suggests that there are important genetic and epigenetic differences between these two cell types, which seem to influence their tumorigenicity.

[Effect of Panax ginseng components on the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into cardiac-like cells]

Bioactive compounds that may control the specific differentiation from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells into cardiac-like cells have been screened from herbal medicines. Among seven preparations, Panax ginseng was found to promote the differentiation into beating cells and to sustain their beating for longer than the control. Active compounds were found in its water-soluble fraction. Although they were not isolated, their candidates were surveyed in 42 compounds selected from the database of P. ginseng. Finally we found that vitamin B12 (VB12) and methionine were active. VB12 accelerated the differentiation into beating cells and made the beating rate constantly 100%. Moreover, VB12 was effective in the recovery of beating that was inhibited by spermine action. The mechanism of action of VB12 is discussed in termo of the relevance of intercellular electrical signal transduction.