Will cell therapies provide the solution for the shortage of transplantable organs?

Purpose of review The potential to regenerate ischemically damaged kidneys while being perfused ex-vivo offers the best near-term solution to increasing kidney allografts for transplantation. Recent findings There are a number of stem-cell sources including: stromal mesenchymal cells (MSC), induced adult pluripotent stem cells, fetal stem cells from placenta, membranes, amniotic fluid and umbilical cord and hematopoietic cells. MSC are increasingly the stem cell of choice and studies are primarily focused on novel induction immunosuppression to prevent rejection. Stem-cell therapies applied in vivo may be of limited benefit because the nonintegrating cells do not remain in the kidney and are not detectable in the body after several days. MSC therapies for transplantation have demonstrated early safety and feasibility. However, efficacy has not been clearly established. A more feasible application of a stem-cell therapy in transplantation is the administration of MSC to treat damaged renal allografts directly while being perfused ex vivo. Initial feasibility has been established demonstrating MSC-treatment results in statistically significant reduction of inflammatory responses, increased ATP and growth factor synthesis and mitosis. Summary The ability to regenerate renal tissue ex-vivo sufficiently to result in immediate function could revolutionize transplantation by solving the chronic organ shortage.
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation - Category: Surgery Tags: ORGANOGENESIS: Edited by Giuseppe Orlando Source Type: research