^{Forensic Psychology & Criminology}

Biography

Biography: Wael Abo Elkheir

Abstract

Reproductive tissues are now recognized as sources of stem/progenitor cells and as targets for regenerative medicine. This presentation briefly reviews the progress and future challenges of applying regenerative medicine to the urogenital tract and the use of stem cells for the treatment of inherited genetic diseases, especially those with irreversible perinatal damage. Stem cells sourced from reproductive tissues have been used or investigated for their potential use in other areas such as hematological disease, traditionally treated with hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from adult sources but for which toxic adjuvant treatments, or bone tissue engineering, are concurrently needed. However, applications of such methods, together with the use of stem cells for gamete generation, are beyond the scope of this ppt. briefly, stem cells have two properties. The first is the ability to self–renew or undertake numerous cell divisions, while maintaining an undifferentiated state. The second is that of multipotency; the capacity to differentiate into a mature cell type. Totipotent stem cells, from the morula, can differentiate into embryonic and extra embryonic cell types, and can produce a complete and viable organism. Pluripotent stem cells descend from totipotent cells and differentiate into tissues derived from any of the three germ layers, including fetal tissues (amniotic fluid cells, the amnion, umbilical cord and placenta). Multipotent stem cells differentiate into various tissues originating from a single germ layer, for example, mesenchymal or haemopoietic stem cells. Unipotent cells such as muscle satellite cells on the other hand, produce only their own cell type but show greater self–renewal than fully mature cells. Theoretically, the more primitive or “potent” a stem cell is, the more predisposed it is to uncontrolled cell division, and the greater its potential for oncogenesis. Although there is some concern regarding the oncogenic potential of pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, nonpluripotent cell sources are not inherently oncogenic. Embryonic stem (ES) cells offer the prospect of novel treatments in regenerative medicine although progress here has been impeded by controversies surrounding the source. However, multipotent cells are now being isolated from several tissues, readily obtained as products of diagnostic tests, at disruption of pregnancy and at birth. In the field of gynecology, regenerative medicine approaches to repair or replace damaged or diseased urogenital tract organs, such as the urinary sphincter, pelvic floor, uterus, ovaries and vagina, are currently in the preclinical and clinical phases of study. In obstetrics, the area of stem cell transplantation has been largely focused on adult stem cell therapy