Stem Cell Tech & Regenerative Medicine

Question 1

What are the aims of regenerative medicine?

Answer 1

• to obtain a plentiful & easily accessible supply of tissue for transplant

Question 2

Define Xenograft

Answer 2

• “a tissue graft or organ transplant from a donor of a different species from the recipient”

Question 3

What’s an example of a sucessful xenograft ?

Answer 3

• heart valves from pigs

Question 4

What are some examples of diseases/health problems that bone regeneration can help?

Answer 4

• non-union bone fracture
• osteoimperfecta
• bone cancer

Question 5

Describe stem cell/scaffold implant strategy

Answer 5

• bone is replaced by synthetic scaffold, seeded with stem cells
• stem cells receive signals from material & surrounding tissues & differentiate into bone cells that produce matrix & populate scaffold
• if scaffold is made of degradable material, when this happens natural bone is left in space

Question 6

Describe scaffold implant

Answer 6

• bone is replaced with a synthetic scaffold which encourages the resident stem cell populations to infiltrate it

Question 7

What problems with cartilage need a tissue engineered solution?

Answer 7

• vertebral disc replacement = when cartilage in the spine wears down & causes severe back pain
• loss of cartilage in trachea through illnesses such as cancer or congential defects
• wear of cartilage can lead to loss of function in joints - leading to osteoarthritis

Question 8

Describe what cartilage characteristic impact tissue engineering

Answer 8

• it’s avascualr = means its capacity for healing is not good & does mean there is a simplification to tissue engineering strategies

Question 9

Describe the pellet method

Answer 9

• cells are gorwn in a pellet at the bottom of a tube & grown under hypoxic conditions

Question 10

Describe Spinal Cord Injury

Answer 10

• site of injury often contains tissue destruction with cysts & scar tissue forming & atrophy in adjacent parts of the cord
• cysts & scar don’t have the cells required from neurological regeneration
• everything below the injury is paralysed

Question 11

What key tissue engineering strategies are used for burns/wound healing?

Answer 11

• scaffolds
• growth factors
• cell therapies