It is pointed out that a cancer stem cell is a type within a tumor that
possesses the capacity of self-renewal and can give rise to the
heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells, which comprise the tumor. It is
emphasized that a unique feature of cancer stem cells is that, although
conventional chemotherapy kills most cells in a tumor, cancer stem cells
remain intact. Vast applications of the following specific stem cells in
disease and tissue injury are discussed: embryonic stem cells, human
mesenchymal stem cells, cancer stem cells, arterial stem cells, neural
stem cells, cardiac stem cells, dental stem cells, limbal stem cells,
and hematopoietic stem cells. Because human embryonic stem cells possess
the potential to produce unlimited quantities of any human cell type,
considerable focus is placed on their therapeutic potential in this
volume. These cells are used in tissue engineering, regenerative
medicine, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and fundamental
studies of cell differentiation. It is pointed out that the formation of
embryoid bodies, which are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic
cells, is the initial step in the differentiation of these cells.
Therapeutic implications of signalling pathways in cancer stem cells are
pointed out. Targeting self-renewal pathways in cancer stem cells are
also included. Application of mesenchymal stem cells for treating
ischemic brain injury is explained. Neural stem cells proliferation into
the surrounding area of the traumatic brain injury is explained.
