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Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Are They the Magic Bullet for Skeletal Tissue Regeneration?

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Bone and Cartilage Regeneration

Part of the book series: Stem Cells in Clinical Applications ((SCCA))

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Abstract

The replacement of damaged or lost tissue secondary to injury or disease is fast becoming a popular concept in twenty-first century medicine. The regeneration or replacement of tissue encompasses the idea of return of original function and morphology of an injured tissue via the process of self or aided healing. The majority of tissues in the human body do not naturally regenerate as their cell lineages have already differentiated and matured. They cannot habitually break down, de-differentiate and replace the damaged tissue.

Increasingly research turns to the notion of integrating stem cells with the principles of tissue engineering to aid surgical practice manage damaged or lost tissue. Over the last decade or so substantial efforts have been made to drive this research forward and convert its outcomes into clinical practice.

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the most common type of stem cell used where the regeneration of skeletal tissue is concerned. To date a vast majority of the research that has been undertaken in this field has been preclinical with limited data from randomised controlled trials. Variation in research outcomes has also let controversy in the role of stem cell therapy and tissue engineering techniques in certain pathologies. However the potential of MSCs as an established treatment for skeletal tissue regeneration is undeniable, even if they are still fraught by their pitfalls in translational research. Knowledge of MSCs biology has developed and prospered significantly since they were first discovered and this has been critical in its development in skeletal tissue regeneration.

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Abbreviations

CFU-F:

Fibroblastic colony forming units

MHC1:

Major histocompatibility 1

MSC:

Mesenchymal stem cells

NKC:

Natural killer cell

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London Institute for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Stanmore, HA7 4LP, UK

    Amir Ardakani & Wasim S. Khan

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  1. Amir Ardakani
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  2. Wasim S. Khan
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Correspondence to Wasim S. Khan .

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  1. Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Phuc Van Pham

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Ardakani, A., Khan, W.S. (2016). Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Are They the Magic Bullet for Skeletal Tissue Regeneration?. In: Pham, P. (eds) Bone and Cartilage Regeneration. Stem Cells in Clinical Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40144-7_6

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