Stem cells: the next therapeutic frontier

Cell therapy is one of the most exciting fields in translational medicine. It stands at the intersection of a variety of rapidly developing scientific disciplines: stem cell biology, immunology, tissue engineering, molecular biology, biomaterials, transplantation biology, regenerative medicine, and clinical research. Cell-based therapy may develop into a new therapeutic platform to treat a vast array of clinical disorders. Blood transfusions and bone marrow transplantation are prime examples of the successful application of cell-based therapeutics; but recent advances in cellular and molecular biology have expanded the potential applications of this approach. Although recombinant genetic engineering to produce a variety of therapeutics such as human erythropoietin and insulin has proven successful, these treatments are unable to completely correct or reverse disease states, because most common disease processes are not due to the deficiency of a single protein but develop due to alterations in the complex interactions of a variety of cell components. In these complex situations, cell-based therapy may be a more successful strategy by providing a dynamic, interactive, and individualized therapeutic approach that responds to the pathophysiological condition of the patient. In this regard, cells may provide innovative methods for drug delivery of biologics, immunotherapy, and tissue regenerative or replacement engineering (1,2). The translation of this discipline to medical practice has tremendous potential, but in many applications technological issues need to be overcome. Since many cell-based indications are already being evaluated in the clinic, the field appears to be on the threshold of a number of successes. This review will focus on our group's use of human stem/progenitor cells in the treatment of acute and chronic renal failure as extensions to the current successful renal substitution processes of hemodialysis and hemofiltration.