Exogenous stem cell therapy: A silver lining for Alzheimer’s disease Salwa1, Lalit Kumar1, Challamundi Mallikarjuna Rao2 1
Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, India.
2
Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, India.
ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related, irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that slowly progresses to death, causing both physical and mental deterioration. To date, although the microscopic alterations present in AD have been well known for over a century only a handful of symptomatic treatments have been developed which are a far cry from a full cure providing volatile benefits. In this context, the intervention of stem cell therapy has been proposed as an alternative treatment for AD as suggested by the rising number of pre-clinical studies that stem cell engraftment could provide an exciting future treatment regimen against neurodegeneration. Although most of the primary enthusiasm about this approach was based on replacing deteriorating neurons, the latest studies have implied that the positive modulations fostered by stem cells are fueled by bystander effects. With the advent of technology, stem-cell-on-a-chip and 3D bioprinting techniques have come up as burgeoning technologies opening a door for the new era of AD therapy. 3D printing has demonstrated the potential for neural regeneration by offering tailored nerve scaffolds to architecturally assist and connect the faulty gap, along with delivering cells or other bioactive compounds. This poster provides a detailed update on stem cell-based therapy for AD along with meticulous discussion regarding challenges in developing different stem cells from an aspect of the experiment to clinical research and their potential in the milieu of AD hallmarks; additionally, in-depth view on recent advancements in the discipline of stem cell-based therapy, some of the key challenges and clinical significance of cell-based therapies for AD will be discussed.
INTRODUCTION •
AD being the most prevalent form of dementia is a serious “21st century disease”; designated as most widespread and devastating neurodegener-
•
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ative disorder affecting the global geriatric population, albeit it is not a
Fig. 2: Exogenous
normal part of ageing (Figure 1).
stem cell therapy in
At present, nearly 50 million people in the world are victims of demen-
AD illustrating po-
tia and this statistic is a tragic which is growing annually by 10 million
tential therapeutic
(World Health Organization, WHO, 2017).
benefits via differ-
Currently approved treatment by US FDA comprises four synthetic
ent mechanisms.
compounds that could only cause meagre slowdown in cognitive decline and there exists no proven cure for AD till date. •
At this context, more recently, stem cells are coming up as most promising and potential alternative to conventional medicines or surgery with much more interest among the researchers, as they could be the
STEM-CELL-ON-A-CHIP & 3D BIOPRINING
golden pathway to “regenerative therapy”. •
Stem-cell-on-a-chip includes a microfluidic chip with cultured cells or tissues and a pump-driven or pumpless stream of culture media or other sources of nutrients.
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3D bioprinting is a procedure that directly impresses cells with biodegradable materials into 3D tissue.
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Using the "brain-in-a-dish" framework, 3D printed structure resembling human neural tissues will facilitate a streamlined solution for drug discovery, pathology study, disease progression and engraftment in AD research.
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The combination of 3D bioprinting and stem cell technology will enable the construction of a much more practical and robust in vitro culture, leading to the obtaining of neural organoids extracted from cells of patients, that will accelerate the customized approach to drug testing in the coming era.
CONCLUSION Fig. 1: Neurobiology of AD brain
EXOGENOUS STEM CELL THERAPY
facilitate the functional recovery of neurodegenerative disorders and other
Engrafting of stem cells has proclaimed promise in improving practical recovery for AD. Exogenous stem cell therapy involves engraft-
Preclinical studies have shown that these cells have significant potential to brain circumstances through cell substitution and neuroprotection.
Cell-based therapies applied to neuro-regenerative medication set high ex-
ing of stem cells into the brains of AD patient with an aim to restore de-
pectations, and while there are still several issues to be answered, these ap-
generated neurons and thereby cognition (Figure 2). Therefore, repopula-
proaches do have the ability of becoming next generation medications.
tion and regeneration of damaged neurons by exogenous stem cells is a
Based on the current state of art research, it can be concluded that many stud-
logical approach to treat AD. Mainly, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), in-
ies on stem cell therapy that are currently in various stages of clinical trials
duced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs) and mes-
would hit the market in next 5-10 years which could significantly reduce the
enchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in this milieu.
social and financial loss associated with this memory robbing disorder.