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Formation of Human Prostate Epithelium Using Tissue Recombination of Rodent Urogenital Sinus Mesenchyme and Human Stem Cells
Published on: June 22, 2013
Stem cells: a review and implications for urology
Richard N Yu1, Carlos R Estrada
1Department of Urology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Objective:
The promise of stem cells is to provide a source of non-diseased material for the generation of patient-specific cells or tissue for replacement and reconstruction. This review will provide a broad perspective on stem cell research, from the sentinel discoveries to recent developments, and also discuss translational implications.
Methods:
We performed internet-based Pubmed database searches to identify recent articles and review papers pertaining to stem cell research and urologic applications.
Results:
Depending on their source, stem cells have a varied capacity to self-renew and divide and to differentiate into a desired phenotype. Pluripotent stem cells can potentially be differentiated into any cell type and multipotent stem cells are variably lineage restricted. In the urologic literature, stem cell derived smooth muscles have been produced and may be useful for tissue-engineered constructs.
Conclusions:
The future of reconstructive surgery will surely incorporate a number of these stem cell based technologies in revolutionary ways that may improve and extend lives. However, the ultimate utility and clinical applicability of the different types of stem cells will depend on a complex synthesis of further basic research, future clinical trials, and ethical and regulatory reconcilement.
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