Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are used in treating cancer- and chemotherapy-induced anemia with the aim of accelerating the recovery of red blood cells (RBCs), reduce the risks associated with RBC transfusions and improve quality of life.

This systematic review with meta-analysis sought to determine the efficacy and safety of intramyocardial transplantation of bone marrow stem cells during coronary artery bypass graft surgery on postoperative cardiac functional parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic volume.

The treatment of malignancies like acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is often complicated by the heterogeneity of the disease and the mechanisms of the disease progression. This heterogeneity is often not reflected in standard treatment approaches which provide predictable outcomes in the majority of patients but fail in individual cases even with high-dose multi-agent chemotherapy regimens and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Further, the unselective effect of chemotherapy causes high treatment-related toxicity and accelerates the risk of infection during prolonged pancytopenia, preventing further dose escalation. Despite rapid progress in therapeutic strategies, the fatality of high-grade malignancies remains enormous.

In regenerative therapy for ischemic heart disease, use of both autologous and allogeneic stem cells has been investigated. Autologous cell can be applied without immunosuppression, but availability is restricted, and cells have been exposed to risk factors and aging. Allogeneic cell therapy enables preoperative production of potent cell lines and immediate availability of cell products, allowing off-the-shelf therapy. It is unknown which cell source is preferred with regard to improving cardiac function.

Dental pulp has been identified as a novel and promising stem cell source. The following systematic review presents and summarises in vivo studies that have used stem cells from the dental pulp of permanent and deciduous teeth to repair or regenerate non-dental tissues. An electronic customised search was performed using 4 different databases (Entrez PubMed, Cab Abstracts, Scopus and Web of Science). Only full-text research manuscripts published in English between the years of 2000 and 2012 were included. The manuscripts were retrieved based on the following keywords and/or abbreviations: [Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous teeth (SHED)] AND/OR [Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC)] AND [tissue regeneration] AND [tissue repair]. Only manuscripts involving in vivo applications of SHED or DPSC for the repair and/or regeneration of non-dental tissues were included. The search strategy produced 2309 papers, from which 14 were eligible according to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Although human tissue was the source of cells in half of the studies included in our review, all of the studies involved transplantation into animals of other species, such as pigs, rats and mice. Most of the manuscripts reported the successful use of DPSCs or SHED for non-dental tissue repair or regeneration. While these cell populations represent promising alternative sources of stem cells for tissue engineering and cell-based regenerative medicine therapies, it is not yet possible to guarantee the appropriate clinical management of this technique.

Placenta is a readily accessible translationally advantageous source of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) currently used in cryobanking and clinical trials. MSCs cultured from human chorion have been widely assumed to be fetal in origin, despite evidence that placental MSCs may be contaminated with maternal cells, resulting in entirely maternally derived MSC cultures. To document the frequency and determinants of maternal cell contamination in chorionic MSCs, we undertook a PRISMA-compliant systematic review of publications in the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases (January 2000 to July 2013) on placental and/or chorionic MSCs from uncomplicated pregnancies. Of 147 studies, only 26 (18%) investigated fetal and/or maternal cell origin. After excluding studies that did not satisfy minimal MSC criteria, 7 of 15 informative studies documented MSC cultures as entirely fetal, a further 7 studies reported cultured human chorionic MSC populations to be either maternal (n=6) or mixed (n=1), whereas 1 study separately cultured pure fetal and pure maternal MSC from the same placenta. Maternal cell contamination was associated with term and chorionic membrane samples and greater passage number but was still present in 30% of studies of chorionic villous MSCs. Although most studies assume fetal origin for MSCs sourced from chorion, this systematic review documents a high incidence of maternal-origin MSC populations in placental MSC cultures. Given that fetal MSCs have more primitive properties than adult MSCs, our findings have implications for clinical trials in which knowledge of donor and tissue source is pivotal. We recommend sensitive methods to quantitate the source and purity of placental MSCs.

The increase in clinical trials assessing the efficacy of cell therapy for structural and functional regeneration of the nervous system in diseases related to the aging brain is well known. However, the results are inconclusive as to the best cell type to be used or the best methodology for the homing of these stem cells. This systematic review analyzed published data on SPION (superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle)-labeled stem cells as a therapy for brain diseases, such as ischemic stroke, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and dementia. This review highlights the therapeutic role of stem cells in reversing the aging process and the pathophysiology of brain aging, as well as emphasizing nanotechnology as an important tool to monitor stem cell migration in affected regions of the brain.

Stem cell (SC) therapy improves left ventricular function and dimensions in ischemic heart disease. Few small-scale trials have studied the effects of SC therapy on nonischemic cardiomyopathy (CMP), the leading cause of heart transplantation in the adults. The objectives were to gain a better insight into the effects of SC therapy for nonischemic CMP by conducting a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may be largely mediated by paracrine factors contained in microvesicles (MV) released from intracellular endosomes. A systematic review of controlled interventional animal studies was performed to identify models of organ injury where clinical translation of MSC-derived microvesicle therapy appears most promising as regenerative therapy.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is associated with low-back pain. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used to "regenerate" the disc. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of comparative controlled studies that have assessed the safety and efficacy of using MSCs for disc regeneration. Literature databases were extensively searched. Trial design, subject-type, MSC sources, injection method, disc assessment, outcome intervals, and complication events were assessed. Validity of each study was performed. Twenty-four animal studies were included with 20.8% of the studies reporting randomization of groups. Trials in humans fulfilling inclusion criteria were not noted. The studies represented 862 discs that were injected with MSCs and 1,603 discs as controls. All three types of MSCs (ie, bone marrow, synovial, and adipose tissues) showed successful inhibition of disc degeneration. Bone-marrow-derived MSCs demonstrated superior quality of repair compared with other non-MSC treatments. A 2.7% overall complication rate was noted, whereby complications were noted only in rabbits. Overall, evidence suggested that MSCs increased disc space height in the majority of animal models. This is the first systematic review to assess the safety and efficacy of MSCs for the treatment of disc degeneration. Short-term MSC transplantation is safe and effective; however, additional, larger, and higher-quality studies are needed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy. Inconsistencies in methodological design and outcome parameters prevent any robust conclusions. Human-based clinical trials are needed. Recommendations are further made to improve efficacy, reduce potential complications, and standardize techniques for future studies.

The management and treatment of ligamentous injuries within an orthopaedic population has continued to evolve throughout the last several decades. Limitations with autograft, allograft and synthetics have led to research into tissue engineering using scaffolds and mesenchymal stem cells.

Despite complex surgical and systemic therapies epithelial ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis. A small quantity of tumorigenic cells termed cancer stem cells (CSC) are responsible for the development of chemoresistance and high rates of recurrence.

Implantation of periodontal ligament stem cells is emerging as a potential periodontal regenerative procedure. This systematic review considers the evidence from animal models investigating the use of periodontal ligament stem cells for successful periodontal regeneration.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head (FH) is believed to be caused by a multitude of etiologic factors and is associated with significant morbidity in younger populations. Eventually, the disease progresses and results in FH collapse. Thus, a focus on early disease management aimed at joint preservation by preventing or delaying progression is key. The use of stem cells (SC) for the treatment of AVN of the FH has been proposed. We undertook a systematic review of the medical literature examining the use of SC for the treatment of early stage (precollapse) AVN of the FH, in both pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Most tissues in the body rely on the presence of gap junctions in order to couple their component cells electrically and metabolically via intercellular transport of ions, metabolites and signalling agents. As a result, cells within tissues achieve a high degree of, 'metabolic homogeneity' which enables them to develop in an integrated way and co-ordinate their response to physiological signals and environmental cues. Unusually, the developing mammalian preimplantation embryo does not form functional gap junctions until it has divided into 8 or more cells. We discuss the implications of this 'missing link' during the first few days of development for the maintenance of homogeneity between embryonic cells and for the co-ordination of the embryonic response to intrinsic genetic damage and external environmental signals.

A promising approach to the treatment of chronic ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and heart failure is the use of stem cells. The last decade has seen a plethora of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) developed worldwide which have generated conflicting results.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies represent a new option for treating damaged cartilage. However, the outcomes following its clinical application have seldom been previously compared. The present paper presents the systematic review of current literatures on MSC-based therapy for cartilage repair in clinical applications. Ovid, Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar online databases were searched using several keywords, which include "cartilage" and "stem cells". Only studies using bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) to treat cartilage defects clinically were included in this review. The clinical outcomes were compared, and the quality of the tissue repair was analysed where possible. Of the 996 articles, only six (n = 6) clinical studies have described the use of BM-MSC in clinical applications. Two studies were cohort observational trials, three were case series, and one was a case report. In the two comparative trials, BM-MSCs produced superior repair to cartilage treatment without cells and have comparable outcomes to autologous chondrocyte implantation. The case series and case-control studies have demonstrated that use of BM-MSCs resulted in better short- to long-term clinical outcomes with minimal complications. In addition, histological analyses in two studies have resulted in good repair tissue formation at the damaged site, composed mainly of hyaline-like cartilage. Although results of the respective studies are highly indicative that BM-MSC-based therapy is superior, due to the differences in methods and selection criteria used, it was not possible to make direct comparison between the studies. In conclusion, published studies do suggest that BM-MSCs could provide superior cartilage repair. However, due to limited number of reports, more robust studies might be required before a definitive conclusion can be drawn.

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an established treatment option for many malignant and non-malignant disorders. In the past two decades, peripheral blood stem cells replaced bone marrow as stem cell source due to faster engraftment and practicability. Previous meta-analyses analysed patients treated from 1990 to 2002 and demonstrated no impact of the stem cell source on overall survival, but a greater risk for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in peripheral blood transplants. As transplant indications and conditioning regimens continue to change, whether the choice of the stem cell source has an impact on transplant outcomes remains to be determined.

Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease of the soft and hard tissues supporting the teeth. Recent advances in regenerative medicine and stem cell biology have paved the way for periodontal tissue engineering. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) delivered in situ to periodontal defects may exert their effects at multiple levels, including neovascularization, immunomodulation, and tissue regeneration. This systematic review had two goals: (a) to objectively quantify key elements for efficacy and safety of MSCs used for periodontal regeneration and (b) to identify patterns in the existing literature to explain differences between studies and suggest recommendations for future research. This systematic review provided good evidence of the capacity of MSCs to regenerate periodontal tissues in animals; however, experimentally generated defects used in animal studies do not sufficiently mimic the pathophysiology of periodontitis in humans. Moreover, the safety of such interventions in humans still needs to be studied. There were marked differences between experimental and control groups that may be influenced by characteristics that are crucial to address before translation to human clinical trials. We suggest that the appropriate combination of cell source, carrier type, and biomolecules, as well as the inclusion of critical path issues for a given clinical case, should be further explored and refined before transitioning to clinical trials. Future studies should investigate periodontal regenerative procedures in animal models, including rodents, in which the defects generated are designed to more accurately reflect the inflammatory status of the host and the shift in their pathogenic microflora.

How ethnicity impacts characteristics of umbilical cord blood collected by cord blood banks remains unclear.