Stem cells & tissue engineering

Abstract

This paper aims to be an introduction in stem cell therapies and tissue engineering, starting from the isolation and first description of stem cells in 1998, and emphasizing their huge importance and potential as they might lead to the long waited healing of most, yet incurable diseases and conditions. Stem cells made a real landmark between traditional and nowadays revolutionary Regenerative Medicine, by encompassing also tissue engineering, i.e. building and replacing damaged organs or part of them. We will shortly present the achievement of scientists to grow replacement tissues for people with various conditions, including pancreatic cells for people with diabetes, neurons for people with Alzheimer's disease and spinal or brain injuries, bone marrow for cancer patients, skin for burn, trauma and aesthetic surgery, cardiac muscle cells for heart diseases, bone and cartilage for orthopedic or/and rheumatologic conditions, etc.

Keywords

• stem cells
• tissue engineering
• regenerative medicine