Ex vivo cultured limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET) with amniotic membrane (AM) as the substrate is a relatively new type of surgical therapy in treating limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). We summarize available evidence for determining the efficiency of this technique by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used in several in vitro experiments in order to stimulate cell proliferation. Cells such as fibroblasts, keratinocytes, lymphocytes, and osteoblasts have shown increased proliferation when submitted to laser irradiation, although little is known about the effects of LLLT on stem cells. This study aims to assess, through a systematic literature review, the effects of LLLT on the in vitro proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells. Using six different terms, we conducted an electronic search in PubMed/Medline database for articles published in the last twelve years. From 463 references obtained, only 19 papers met the search criteria and were included in this review. The analysis of the papers showed a concentration of experiments using LLLT on stem cells derived from bone marrow, dental pulp, periodontal ligament, and adipose tissue. Several protocols were used to irradiate the cells, with variations on wavelength, power density, radiation time, and state of light polarization. Most studies demonstrated an increase in the proliferation rate of the irradiated cells. It can be concluded that the laser therapy positively influences the in vitro proliferation of stem cells studied, being necessary to carry out further experiments on other cell types and to uniform the methodological designs.

Obesity is a well recognized risk factor for several types of cancers, many of which occur solely or disproportionately in women. Adipose tissue is a rich source of adipose-derived stem cells (ASC), which have received attention for their role in cancer behavior. The purpose of this systematic review is to present the existing literature on the role of ASCs in the growth, development, progression, and metastasis of cancer, with an emphasis on malignancies that primarily affect women. To accomplish this goal, the bibliographic database PubMed was systematically searched for articles published between 2001 and 2014 that address ASCs' relationship to human cancer. Thirty-seven articles on ASCs' role in human cancer were reviewed. Literature suggests that ASCs exhibit cancer-promoting properties, influence/are influenced by the tumor microenvironment, promote angiogenesis, and may be associated with pathogenic processes through a variety of mechanisms, such as playing a role in hypoxic tumor microenvironment. ASCs appear to be important contributors to tumor behavior, but research in areas specific to women's cancers, specifically endometrial cancer, is scarce. Also, because obesity continues to be a major health concern, it is important to continue research in this area to improve understanding of the impact adiposity has on cancer incidence.

The aim of this article is to review experimental studies of visible and infrared light irradiation of human and animal stem cells (SCs) in vitro and in vivo to assess photobiomodulation effects on their proliferation and differentiation.

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the role of biological augmentation and tissue engineering strategies in meniscus surgery. Although clinical (human), preclinical (animal), and in vitro tissue engineering studies are included here, we have placed additional focus on addressing preclinical and clinical studies reported during the 5-year period used in this review in a systematic fashion while also providing a summary review of some important in vitro tissue engineering findings in the field over the past decade.

Cell-based therapies can be used to treat neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) transplantation in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Neuroblastoma is a rare malignant disease and mainly affects infants and very young children. The tumors mainly develop in the adrenal medullary tissue and an abdominal mass is the most common presentation. About 50% of patients have metastatic disease at diagnosis. The high-risk group is characterized by metastasis and other characteristics that increase the risk for an adverse outcome. High-risk patients have a five-year event-free survival of less than 50%. Retinoic acid has been shown to inhibit growth of human neuroblastoma cells and has been considered as a potential candidate for improving the outcome of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Regenerative scaffold-based procedures are emerging as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of chondral and osteochondral lesions. In general, we can summarize most of the recent developments to reach clinical application into 2 major trends: the use of different cell sources or the application of biomaterials as a cell-free approach. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze both preclinical and clinical studies on these new trends to understand how the available evidence supports the use of cell sources or justifies the cell-free approach for the scaffold-based treatment of cartilage lesions.

Recent progress in the formation of artificial gametes, i.e. gametes generated from progenitors or somatic cells, has led to scientific and societal discussion about their use in medically assisted reproduction. In animals, live births have already been achieved using artificial gametes of varying (cell type) sources and biological research seems to be progressing steadily toward clinical application in humans. Artificial gametes could potentially help not only infertile heterosexual couples of reproductive age of which one or both partners lacks functional gametes, but also post-menopausal women and same-sex couples, to conceive a child who will be genetically related to them. But as clinical application of these new technologies may have wider societal consequences, a proactive consideration of the possible impact seems timely and important. This review aims to contribute to this by providing a systematic overview of the potential consequences of clinical application of artificial gametes anticipated by different stakeholders.

Recent progress in the formation of artificial gametes, i.e. gametes generated by manipulation of their progenitors or of somatic cells, has led to scientific and societal discussion about their use in medically assisted reproduction (MAR). Artificial gametes could potentially help infertile men and women but also post-menopausal women and gay couples conceive genetically related children. This systematic review aimed to provide insight in the progress of biological research towards clinical application of artificial gametes.

It is still under debate whether bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) should be the preferred stem cell source in adult patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancies. After systematic literature search we identified nine randomised controlled trials comparing BM and PB as stem cell source from 2341 total hits. Meta-analysis involving 1521 patients showed a statistically significant reduction in overall and extensive chronic GvHD for patients transplanted with BM (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85 and HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.9), but no difference in overall and disease-free survival. In the related donor setting, data from two of eight studies demonstrated a significant increase of relapse incidence for BM (HR 2.73; 95% CI 1.47 to 5.08). This systematic review demonstrates that the current clinical standard to use peripheral blood stem cells instead of bone marrow for allo-SCT is not inferior with regard to the primary outcome overall survival.

Trial outcomes comparing cytokine agents for PBSC mobilization in autologous hematopoietic transplant patients have been controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence available on pegfilgrastim vs filgrastim in chemo-cytokine mobilization. Electronic literature searches of PubMed, EMBASE and CENTRAL identified nine articles eligible for qualitative analysis with one randomized controlled trial. Eight articles involving 719 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed similar CD34+ cell collection yields for pegfilgrastim and filgrastim (SDM -0.08, 95% CI: -0.388 to 0.228). On comparison with filgrastim, pegfilgrastim showed a significantly earlier apheresis onset time (SDM: -0.512, 95% CI: -0.973 to -0.050) and reduction in required apheresis procedures (SDM -0.260, 95% CI: -0.466 to -0.054). Times to leukocyte (⩾1.0 × 10(9)/L) and platelet (⩾20 × 10(9)/L) recovery were similar between groups (SDM: 0.015, 95% CI: -0.41 to 0.44 and SDM: 0.309, 95% CI: -0.11 to 0.72, respectively). Both agents were well tolerated and mild bone pain was the most frequently reported adverse event. Pegfilgrastim may be a convenient alternative to filgrastim in PBSC mobilization for multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients, but further studies are required to clarify effects of cytokine dosage and previous cytotoxic exposure in specific subpopulations.

Perianal fistulas, and specifically high perianal fistulas, remain a surgical treatment challenge. Many techniques have, and still are, being developed to improve outcome after surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed for surgical treatments for high cryptoglandular perianal fistulas.

Stem cell-based therapy is a potential new approach in the treatment of stroke. However, the efficacy and safety of these treatments are not yet fully understood. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of available single-arm studies using stem cell-based therapy in patients with stroke.

Asthma control frequently falls short of the goals set in international guidelines. Treatment options for patients with poorly controlled asthma despite inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β-agonists are limited, and new therapeutic options are needed. Stem cell therapy is promising for a variety of disorders but there has been no human clinical trial of stem cell therapy for asthma. We aimed to systematically review the literature regarding the potential benefits of stem cell therapy in animal models of asthma to determine whether a human trial is warranted.

This work provides a systematic review of the literature from January 2003 to April 2014 pertaining to the incidence, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), and offers recommendations for its management based on multidisciplinary international consensus. ONJ is associated with oncology-dose parenteral antiresorptive therapy of bisphosphonates (BP) and denosumab (Dmab). The incidence of ONJ is greatest in the oncology patient population (1% to 15%), where high doses of these medications are used at frequent intervals. In the osteoporosis patient population, the incidence of ONJ is estimated at 0.001% to 0.01%, marginally higher than the incidence in the general population (<0.001%). New insights into the pathophysiology of ONJ include antiresorptive effects of BPs and Dmab, effects of BPs on gamma delta T-cells and on monocyte and macrophage function, as well as the role of local bacterial infection, inflammation, and necrosis. Advances in imaging include the use of cone beam computerized tomography assessing cortical and cancellous architecture with lower radiation exposure, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scanning, and positron emission tomography, although plain films often suffice. Other risk factors for ONJ include glucocorticoid use, maxillary or mandibular bone surgery, poor oral hygiene, chronic inflammation, diabetes mellitus, ill-fitting dentures, as well as other drugs, including antiangiogenic agents. Prevention strategies for ONJ include elimination or stabilization of oral disease prior to initiation of antiresorptive agents, as well as maintenance of good oral hygiene. In those patients at high risk for the development of ONJ, including cancer patients receiving high-dose BP or Dmab therapy, consideration should be given to withholding antiresorptive therapy following extensive oral surgery until the surgical site heals with mature mucosal coverage. Management of ONJ is based on the stage of the disease, size of the lesions, and the presence of contributing drug therapy and comorbidity. Conservative therapy includes topical antibiotic oral rinses and systemic antibiotic therapy. Localized surgical debridement is indicated in advanced nonresponsive disease and has been successful. Early data have suggested enhanced osseous wound healing with teriparatide in those without contraindications for its use. Experimental therapy includes bone marrow stem cell intralesional transplantation, low-level laser therapy, local platelet-derived growth factor application, hyperbaric oxygen, and tissue grafting.

The majority of stem cell therapies for corneal repair are based upon the use of progenitor cells isolated from corneal tissue, but a growing body of literature suggests a role for mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated from noncorneal tissues. While the mechanism of MSC action seems likely to involve their immuno-modulatory properties, claims have emerged of MSC transdifferentiation into corneal cells. Substantial differences in methodology and experimental outcomes, however, have prompted us to perform a systematic review of the published data. Key questions used in our analysis included: the choice of markers used to assess corneal cell phenotype, the techniques used to detect these markers, adequate reporting of controls, and tracking of MSC when studied in vivo. Our search of the literature revealed 28 papers published since 2006, with half appearing since 2012. MSC cultures established from bone marrow and adipose tissue have been best studied (22 papers). Critically, only 11 studies used appropriate markers of corneal cell phenotype, along with necessary controls. Ten out of these eleven papers, however, contained positive evidence of corneal cell marker expression by MSC. The clearest evidence is observed with respect to expression of markers for corneal stromal cells by MSC. In comparison, the evidence for MSC conversion into either corneal epithelial cells or corneal endothelial cells is often inconsistent or inconclusive. Our analysis clarifies this emerging body of literature and provides guidance for future studies of MSC differentiation within the cornea as well as other tissues.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to explore the clinical outcome of the transplantation of stem cells from various human tissue sources in cirrhotic patients.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a chronic, not malignant, disease of the hematopoietic stem cells, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of 1.3 new cases per one million individuals per year. The treatment of PNH has been largely empirical and symptomatic, with blood transfusions, anticoagulation, and supplementation with folic acid or iron. Eculizumab, a biological agent that inhibits complement cascade, was developed for preventing hemolytic anemia and severe thrombotic episodes.

SOX2-positive head and neck cancer patients had a worse prognosis, and this was associated with common clinicopathological poor prognostic factors.