A New Chapter for Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Decellularized Extracellular Matrices.

From orthopedic to neurological disorders, stem cells are used as platforms to understand disease mechanisms and considered as novel and promising treatment options, especially when the valid therapeutic approaches are unavailable or ineffective. There are different stem cell types in the literature, however the spindle-shaped, colony forming and multilineage-differentiating cells, also known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are very popular, as MSC can be isolated from different tissues with minimal ethical concerns and without tumor formations, which make them easily accessible and widely used in vitro and in vivo studies. In the literature, MSC have been shown to have therapeutic effects and orchestrate the healing process via their mobilization, migration, differentiation capacities, immunomodulation properties and/or secretion of bioactive factors.

Biomaterial and Stem Cell Interactions: Histological Biocompatibility.

Advancements in biomaterials and stem cell technology have lead current medical technology to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Human engineered cartilage, bone, fascia, tendon, nerve and skin tissues have been used for the treatment of tissue injuries and degenerative diseases in combination with embryonic, fetal or adult stem and progenitor cells. Mesenchymal stem cells are one of the most extensively studied adult stem cell population and are widely utilized in cell therapies.