The use of in situ bone marrow stem cells for the treatment of various degenerative diseases☆

The potential for tissue repair and regeneration is encouraging in the light of novel research on the plasticity of adult stem cells. Intense research efforts over the last 3 years have provided solid evidence for the continuous generation of many types of tissue cells from adult stem cells as a normal part of our physiology throughout development and adult life in mammals, including humans. This opens new therapeutic avenues for many clinical problems and provides alternative opportunities at a time when much attention has been brought to the issue of using embryonic stem cells for research purposes and for the development of treatments for various diseases. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells characterized by nearly unlimited self-renewal and differentiation capacity. However, evidence has accumulated over the past few years, indicating that adult bone marrow stem cells might have pluripotent properties similar to those of embryonic stem cells. Based on a review of the literature we propose the hypothesis that in situ mobilization of stem cells from the bone marrow and their migration to various tissues is a normal physiological process of regeneration and repair and that therapeutic benefits can be generated with less invasive regimens than the removal and re-injection of stem cells, through the stimulation of normal stem cell migration. We further propose that effort should be made to identify natural compounds characterized by their ability to augment this normal process of mobilization and re-colonization of bone marrow stem cells for the potential treatment of various degenerative diseases.