Stem Cell Recerca is the major forum for translational research into stem cell therapies. As an international peer-reviewed journal, it publishes high-quality open access research articles with a special emphasis on basic, translational and clinical research into stem cell therapeutics and regenerative therapies, including animal models and clinical trials. The journal also provides reviews, viewpoints, commentaries, reports and methods.

In order to create such impactful content, Stem Cell Recerca brings together an expert Editorial Board, which comprises of noted scholars in the field of Cell Biology. Every single article is subjected to rigorous peer review by illustrious scientists. In addition to Research Articles, the Journal also publishes high quality Commentaries, Reviews, and Perspectives aimed at synthesizing the latest developments in the field, and putting forward new theories in order to provoke debates amongst the scholars in the field. The journal thus maintains the highest standards in terms of quality and comprehensive in its approach.

Stem Cell Recerca covers:

Cancer Stem Cells

• Cellular origin of cancer stem cells
• Genetic constraints, including epigenetic modifications, that influence growth process
• The cancer stem cell niche, and cancer stem cells as therapeutic targets
• Mathematical models of cancer cell evolution and mechanisms of survival

Embryonic Stem Cells/Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells

• Signaling pathways/factors regulating and/or initiating ESC/iPS cells pluripotency and differentiation
• Derivation and organization of primitive, early structures with or without tissue specificity

Regenerative Medicine

• Potential applications for stem cell-based strategies in pathological conditions
• Tissue engineering and characterization of engineered tissues
• Medical device and artificial organ development
• Stem cell transplantation and technologies that will maintain, improve or restore the function of diseased organs
• Gene therapies for inherited diseases

Stem Cell Technology: Epigenetics, Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabonomics

• Mutagenesis and epigenetic influences
• Surveys of gene and/or protein expression with a link to structure or function
• Quantitative measurements of the dynamic multiparametric metabolic response of living systems to pathophysiological stimuli or genetic modification
• Prediction of the outcome (efficacy or toxicity) of a drug or xenobiotic intervention in an individual based on a mathematical model of preintervention metabolite signatures

Tissue-Specific Stem Cells

• Regulation of and pathways that govern stem cell self-renewal and/or differentiation
• Cellular interactions and signaling pathways necessary for tissue specificity
• Molecules and signaling pathways that modulate homing or mobilization of tissue-specific stem/progenitor cells
• Functional properties of tissue-specific and progenitor cells
• Improving engraftment for efficient and less costly cellular therapy for adult stem cells
• Understanding and avoiding teratoma formation

Translational and Clinical Research

• Studies describing new model systems with potential for drug development
• Translation into pharmaceutical, clinical or practical findings

Regenerative Biology

In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. Regeneration can either be complete where the new tissue is the same as the lost tissue or incomplete where after the necrotic tissue comes fibrosis. At its most elementary level, regeneration is mediated by the molecular processes of gene regulation. Regeneration in biology, however, mainly refers to the morphogenic processes that characterize the phenotypic plasticity of traits allowing multi-cellular organisms to repair and maintain the integrity of their physiological and morphological states. Above the genetic level, regeneration is fundamentally regulated by asexual cellular processes. Regeneration is different from reproduction. For example, hydra performs regeneration but reproduces by the method of budding.

Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cells\'ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm - but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.

Tissue Repair and Regeneration

Tissue repair and regeneration following injury or disease are often thought to recapitulate embryonic development by using similar molecular and cellular pathways. In addition, many embryonic tissues, such as the spinal cord, heart, and limbs, have some regenerative potential and may utilize mechanisms that can be exogenously activated in adult tissues. For example, BMP signaling regulates nervous system development, and SMAD reactivation plays a critical role in adult nerve regeneration and repair in animal models of spinal cord injury. While similar molecular pathways are utilized during embryogenesis and adult tissue regeneration, recent reports suggest the mechanisms by which these developmental programs are reactivated and maintained may vary in adult tissues. Adult fish and amphibians have a remarkable capacity for tissue regeneration, while mammals have a limited regenerative capacity.

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation is a medical discipline focused on the practical reversal of the aging process. Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging. Rejuvenation is the reversal of aging and thus requires a different strategy, namely repair of the damage that is associated with aging or replacement of damaged tissue with new tissue. Rejuvenation can be a means of life extension, but most life extension strategies do not involve rejuvenation.

Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering is emerging as a significant potential alternative or complementary solution, whereby tissue and organ failure is addressed by implanting natural, synthetic, or semisynthetic tissue and organ mimics that are fully functional from the start, or that grow into the required functionality. Initial efforts have focused on skin equivalents for treating burns, but an increasing number of tissue types are now being engineered, as well as biomaterials and scaffolds used as delivery systems. A variety of approaches are used to coax differentiated or undifferentiated cells, such as stem cells, into the desired cell type. Notable results include tissue-engineered bone, blood vessels, liver, muscle, and even nerve conduits. As a result of the medical and market potential, there is significant academic and corporate interest in this technology.

Cell and Organ Regeneration

Some parts of our bodies can repair themselves quite well after injury, but others don\'t repair at all. We certainly can\'t regrow a whole leg or arm, but some animals can regrow - or regenerate - whole body parts. Regeneration means the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape. And our skin is constantly being renewed and repaired. Unfortunately, many other human tissues don\'t regenerate, and a goal in regenerative medicine is to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body or to engineer replacement tissues.

Models of Regeneration

Discovered centuries ago, regeneration is a fascinating biological phenomenon that continues to intrigue. The study of regeneration promises to inform how adult tissues heal and rebuild themselves such that this process may someday be stimulated in a clinical setting. Although mammals are limited in their ability to regenerate, closely and distantly related species alike can perform astonishing regenerative feats. Many different animals representing almost all phyla harness an innate ability to rebuild missing adult structures lost to injury. However, it is unclear which aspects of regeneration are conserved and which are unique to a given context. One aspect of regeneration that appears to be shared is the use of stem/progenitor cells to replace missing tissues.

Stem Cell Treatments

Regenerative medicine is an emerging branch of medicine with the goal of restoring organ and/or tissue function for patients with serious injuries or chronic disease in which the body’s own responses are not sufficient enough to restore functional tissue. New and current Regenerative Medicines can use stem cells to create a living and functional tissues to regenerate and repair tissue and organs in the body that are damaged due to age, disease, and congenital defects. Stem cells have the power to go to these damaged areas and regenerate new cells and tissues by performing a repair and a renewal process, restoring functionality. Regenerative medicine has the potential to provide a cure for failing or impaired tissues.

Cellular Therapies

Cellular therapy, also called live cell therapy, cellular suspensions, glandular therapy, fresh cell therapy, sicca cell therapy, embryonic cell therapy, and organotherapy - refers to various procedures in which processed tissue from animal embryos, fetuses or organs, is injected or taken orally. Products are obtained from specific organs or tissues said to correspond with the unhealthy organs or tissues of the recipient. Proponents claim that the recipient\'s body automatically transports the injected cells to the target organs, where they supposedly strengthen them and regenerate their structure. The organs and glands used in cell treatment include the brain, pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, thymus, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, heart, ovary, testis, and parotid. Several different types of cell or cell extract can be given simultaneously - some practitioners routinely give up to 20 or more at once.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient\'s cells instead of using drugs or surgery. Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene; Inactivating, or \"knocking out\", a mutated gene that is functioning improperly; Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease. Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Gene therapy is currently only being tested for the treatment of diseases that have no other cures.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body\'s natural defense to fight cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to improve, target, or restore immune system function. It is not entirely clear how immunotherapy treats cancer. However, it may work in the following ways: Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells; Stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body; Helping the immune system work better at destroying cancer cells. There are several types of immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies, non-specific immunotherapies, and cancer vaccines.

Stem Cell Transplantation

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure that is most often recommended as a treatment option for people with leukemia, multiple myeloma, and some types of lymphoma. It may also be used to treat some genetic diseases that involve the blood. During a stem cell transplant, diseased bone marrow (the spongy, fatty tissue found inside larger bones) is destroyed with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and then replaced with highly specialized stem cells that develop into the healthy bone marrow. Although this procedure used to be referred to as a bone marrow transplant, today it is more commonly called a stem cell transplant because it is stem cells in the blood that are typically being transplanted, not the actual bone marrow tissue.

Ethical and Legal Issues

Stem Cell Research offers great promise for understanding basic mechanisms of human development and differentiation, as well as the hope for new treatments for diseases such as diabetes, spinal cord injury, Parkinson\'s disease, and myocardial infarction. Pluripotent stem cells perpetuate themselves in culture and can differentiate into all types of specialized cells. Scientists plan to differentiate pluripotent cells into specialized cells that could be used for transplantation.

Subjects covered by Stem Cell Recerca include but are not limited to:

Cell Biology

Cell Therapy

Cell Differentiation

Cell Carcinoma

Stem Cell Lines

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Transplantation

Embryonic Stem Cells

Fetal stem cells

Adult Stem Cells

Stem Cell Technology

Pluripotent Stem Cells

Tissue-Specific Stem Cells

Cancer Stem Cells

Merkel cells

Sources of stem cells

Stem cells and orthopedic repairs

Stem cells and hard-tissue repair

Translational Research

Cell Deficiency Therapy

Stem Cell Markers

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative Cells

Regenerative Therapy

Organ Regeneration

Tissue Regeneration

Tissue Differentiation

Bone Marrow Transplantation

Cell potency

Neurodegenerative diseases

Rejuvenation

Lymphoma

Hair Cells

Cell Generation

Regenerative Endodontics

Blood Cancer Cells

Blood-cell formation

Cochlear hair cell re-growth

Infertility

Cord Blood

Immunology

Tooth regeneration

Lymph Vessels

Lymph Nodes

Microglia cell

Adenoids

Embryology

Toxicology

Etymology

Blastocyst

Neural Stem Cells

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Cardiomyocytes

Autologous transplants

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants

Fibroblast

Hematopoietic Cells

Umbilical cord blood

Multipotent Stem Cells

Pancreatic Beta Cells

Photoreceptors

Preclinical Research

Precursor Cells

Progenitor Cells

Somatic Stem Cells

Stem Cell Tourism

Teratoma

Tissue

Osteoporosis

Bone Tissue Engineered Cell Therapies

Cell Surface Markers

Signal Pathway-Related Intracellular Markers

Mononuclear Cells

Osteoarthritis

Implanted Cells

Dead Cells

Prototypical Cells

Stem Cell Engraftment

Genetics

Cellular Medicine

Endothelial Cells

Vascular Progenitor Cells

Somatic Stem Cell

Parthenogenesis

Ectoderm

Neural Stem Cell

Preimplantation

Cell-Based Therapies

Transdifferentiation

Cloning

Cryogenic Preservation

Epiblast Stem Cells

Haematopoiesis

Growth Factor

Limbal stem cells

Muscular Dystrophy

Organ Transplant

Personalized Medicine

Phenotype

Serotype

Specialized Cells

Transcription Factor

Medical Devices and Artificial Organs

Plasma and Synovial Fluid

Developmental Medicine