cell therapy (rus. клеточная терапия) — complex of therapeutic approaches based on the use of eukaryotic cells.

Description

Methods of cell therapy are based on the extraction of cells from the human body, their cultivation, modification and subsequent transplantation. These methods can be successfully used in regenerative medicine (regeneration of damaged tissues and organs), in treatment of hereditary diseases and cancer, intractable cardiovascular, neuro-degenerative and autoimmune diseases. One widely known and most rapidly developing area of cell therapy is stem cell therapy.

Nanotechnologies are widely used in cell therapy, for example:

- nanosized magnetic particles, whose surface is covered with specific antibodies, can be used to isolate a certain type of stem (or immune) cells from a tissue;

- nano-delivery systems (liposomes, structures based on virus particles, etc.) are used for the genetic modification of the transplanted cells; genetic engineering may provide novel properties that improve cell survival after transplantation;

- the creation of nanoscale topography on the surface of artificial materials used as implants improves adhesion and subsequent cell proliferation.

Illustrations

<span><div>Gage F.H. Cell therapy // Nature. 1998. V. 392. P. 18–24.</div></span>
Gage F.H. Cell therapy // Nature. 1998. V. 392. P. 18–24.

Author

  • Grigory G. Borisenko

Source

  1. Gage F.H. Cell therapy // Nature. 1998. V. 392. P. 18–24.