Current Trend and Pro-survival Approaches for Augmenting Stem Cell Viability

Stem cells are of two types: embryonic and adult stem cells and they act as a repair system by replenishing body tissue. Stem cells differentiate into different types of cells, such as neural, hematopoietic, adipose, etc. and are used for the treatment of various conditions like myocardial infarction, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

This article focuses on recent research development that addresses the viability issues of stem cells. The efficiency of transplanted stem cells reduces due to conditions like hypoxia, inflammation, nutrient deprivation, immunogenicity, extracellular matrix loss on delivery and mechanical stress.

To increase the viability of stem cells, techniques like scaffolds of stem cells with hydrogel or alginate, pre-conditioning, different routes of administration and encapsulation, are implemented.

For the protection of stem cells against apoptosis, different pathways, namely Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K/AKT), Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF1), Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) and Hippo, are discussed.

Activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway decreases the concentration of apoptotic factors, while the HIF pathway protects stem cells against the micro-environment of tissue (hypoxia).