• Human embryonic stem cells: applications in regenerative medicine
  • Faezeh Tolouei,1,* Danial Safarpoor,2
    1. Department of Genetics, Faculty of Basic and Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Zanjan, Iran
    2. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran


  • Introduction: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were successfully generated in 1998 by culturing inner cell mass cells isolated from human blastocyst. hESCs have various clinical applications. These cells can be differentiated into a variety of desirable replacement tissues for the treatment of several diseases by transplantation therapy. hESCs also serve as appropriate models for studying early human development, infant cancers and congenital anomalies. Since the hESCs are pluripotent cells, human embryogenesis and the effects of potential teratogens can be studied. hESCs are also used for screening and testing potential drugs for the pharmaceutical industry. The directed derivatives of hESCs, such as cardiomyocytes have become attractive platform to evaluate cardiotoxicity.
  • Methods: This study has benefited from digital libraries resources published from 2005 to present.
  • Results: hESCs are described as pluripotent cells because they are able to differentiate into all three germ layers of the embryo and their derivatives; for example, pluripotent hESCs can be differentiated into neuronal cells, cardiac cells, liver cells, adrenal cells, keratinocytes, insulin-producing cells, and islet-like organoid. The transplantation of hESCs and their differentiated cells was tested in the animal models of Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and spinal cord injury. Several clinical studies have evaluated the therapeutic effects of hESCs; for example in patients who were suffering from spinal injury, macular degeneration disease or type 1 diabetes. Although hESCs have great potential for the treatment of various degenerative diseases, the application of them has faced several challenges such as teratoma formation, immunorejection, and ethical, social, and political aspects.
  • Conclusion: hESCs have great potentials for use in regenerative medicine, although many obstacles still have to be overcome.
  • Keywords: human embryonic stem cells, pluripotent cells, differentiation, transplantation, disease.