Stem cell therapy for digestive tract diseases: current state and future perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Digestive tract diseases present complex challenges due to diverse pathogeneses including inflammatory, ischemic, neoplastic, and functional deficits.
• The digestive tract's non-sterile environment and varied organ origins contribute to the complexity of disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the fundamental concepts of stem cell (SC) therapy.
• To analyze the potential benefits of SCs for treating digestive tract diseases.
• To summarize current clinical experiences and future perspectives of SC therapy in gastroenterology.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical studies and current clinical trials involving stem cell therapy for digestive diseases.
• Analysis of the increasing number of clinical trials over the past five years.
• Focus on advanced programs in phase III development for liver failure, Crohn's disease, and fistulous disease.

Main Results:

• Stem cell therapy has demonstrated promising preclinical results for digestive tract diseases.
• Clinical trials have increased tenfold in the last five years, indicating growing interest and progress.
• Advanced clinical programs for liver failure, Crohn's disease, and fistulous disease are now in phase III.

Conclusions:

• Stem cell therapy holds significant potential to become a clinical reality for managing complex digestive diseases.
• Continued progress and confirmation of preliminary results could revolutionize treatment approaches.
• The field is rapidly advancing, with stem cell therapy poised for near-future clinical application.