Author(s)

José A. Andrades, José Becerra, Ramón Muñoz-Chápuli, Salvador Martínez, Ángel Raya, Javier García-Sancho, José M. Moraleda

Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (IBGM), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
Institute of Neurosciences, University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.
Laboratory of Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration (LABRET), Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, IBIMA, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain; Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Málaga, Spain.
Laboratory of Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration (LABRET), Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, IBIMA, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain; Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Málaga, Spain; Andalusian Centre for Biotechnology and Nanomedicine (BIONAND), Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía, Campanillas, Málaga, Spain.
Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Málaga, Spain; Control of Stem Cell Potency Group, Institut for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), P. Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain.
Unit of Transplant and Cell Therapy, University of Murcia, IMIB, University Clinic Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain.

The characterization and isolation of various stem cell populations, from embryonic to tissue-derived stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have led to a rapid growth in the field of stem cell research and its potentially clinical application in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue repair. Stem cell therapy has recently progressed from the preclinical to the early clinical trial arena for a variety of diseases states, although further knowledge on action mechanisms, long-term safety issues, and standardization and characterization of the therapeutic cell products remains to be thoroughly elucidated. In this paper we summarize the current state of the art of basic and clinical research that were highlighted at the 2012 meeting of the Spanish Cell Therapy Network. This includes the current research involving in genomic and transcriptomic characterization of selected stem cell populations, studies of the role of resident and transplanted stem cells during tissue regeneration and their mechanism of action, improved new strategies of tissue engineering, transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in different animal models of disease, disease correction by iPSCs, and preliminary results of cell therapy in human clinical trials.

Spanish Cell Therapy Network; Stem Cell; Cell Therapy; Tissue Engineering; Regenerative Medicine

Andrades, J. , Becerra, J. , Muñoz-Chápuli, R. , Martínez, S. , Raya, Á. , García-Sancho, J. and Moraleda, J. (2014) Stem cells therapy for regenerative medicine: Principles of present and future practice. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 7, 49-57. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2014.72008.