Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

High Throughput Characterization of Adult Stem Cells Engineered for Delivery of Therapeutic Factors for Neuroprotective Strategies
09:19

High Throughput Characterization of Adult Stem Cells Engineered for Delivery of Therapeutic Factors for Neuroprotective Strategies

Published on: January 4, 2015

10.9K

Stem Cells and Targeted Gene Therapy in Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

Ahmad Pour-Rashidi1, Esmaeil Mohammadi2, Nima Rezaei3,4

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|January 1, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Novel stem cell therapies offer promising treatments for malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors, showing potential to reduce tumor size and improve patient survival with fewer side effects than traditional methods.

Area of Science:

  • Neuro-oncology
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors present a significant global health challenge with high mortality and limited cure rates.
  • The understanding of neurogenesis has evolved, paving the way for exploring novel therapeutic avenues.
  • Conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy for CNS tumors often have severe side effects and limited efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and summarize current stem cell-based therapeutic strategies for CNS tumors.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and future potential of these novel treatments compared to conventional therapies.
  • To highlight the role of genomic analysis in advancing targeted gene therapy for CNS cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on stem cell transplantation and suicide gene therapy for CNS cancers.
  • Analysis of various stem cell types, including hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and neural stem cells (NSCs).
  • Examination of therapeutic outcomes such as tumor volume reduction, progression inhibition, and survival enhancement.

Main Results:

  • Stem cell-based approaches, including transplantation and suicide gene therapy, have demonstrated success in decreasing tumor volume and inhibiting progression.
  • These novel therapies have shown potential for enhancing patient survival and offer relatively better safety profiles with tolerable side effects compared to conventional treatments.
  • Complications associated with stem cell therapies are acknowledged but are being addressed through ongoing research.

Conclusions:

  • Stem cell-based therapies represent a promising and evolving treatment modality for a wide range of CNS tumors.
  • Further research into tumor genomic analysis and molecular mechanisms will refine patient selection for targeted gene therapy.
  • These approaches hold the potential to become a significant part of future CNS cancer treatment strategies.
Keywords:
CNS tumorsGene therapyNSCsNeural stem cellsStem cell therapy

More Related Videos

Targeted and Selective Treatment of Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Teratomas Using External Beam Radiation in a Small-animal Model05:08

Targeted and Selective Treatment of Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Teratomas Using External Beam Radiation in a Small-animal Model

Published on: February 17, 2019

6.2K
Author Spotlight: Modeling Brain Tumors In Vivo Using Electroporation-Based Delivery of Plasmid DNA Representing Patient Mutation Signatures04:01

Author Spotlight: Modeling Brain Tumors In Vivo Using Electroporation-Based Delivery of Plasmid DNA Representing Patient Mutation Signatures

Published on: June 23, 2023

1.9K

Related Concept Videos

Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
25.7K
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration01:21

Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration

Stem cell therapy is a method used in regenerative medicine to repair and restore function to damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells have the potential to proliferate and differentiate into various tissue types, making them ideal candidates for tissue regeneration. For example, hematopoietic stem cell transplants are commonly used in blood cancer treatment to replenish damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cells.
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
4.1K
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
4.3K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.8K
Stem Cell Culture01:17

Stem Cell Culture

Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...
5.3K
iPS Cell Differentiation01:22

iPS Cell Differentiation

The ability of induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs to differentiate into most body cell types has stimulated repair and regenerative medicine research over the past few decades. iPSC-derived blood cells, hepatocytes, beta islet cells, cardiomyocytes, neurons, and other cell types can repair injuries or regenerate damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
2.8K