Acute and chronic pancreatitis are associated with local and systemic inflammation that is linked to a host of serious health issues. A result of the digestive juices and enzymes attacking the pancreas, pancreatitis currently has no definite treatment.
Currently, it is estimated that over 6 million people worldwide are afflicted by acute or chronic pancreatitis with the number of diagnoses appearing to be steadily increasing.
The rising interest in stem cell therapy being used to potentially treat a wide variety of other diseases has led to interest in exploring it as a way to aid in the treatment of both acute and chronic pancreatitis.
As part of this review, Chela et al. examine numerous studies using commonly used stem cells to explore their promise in the treatment of pancreatitis.
A number of studies are utilizing stem cells to repair and replace tissue damaged as a result of numerous gastrointestinal diseases, including acute and chronic pancreatitis. In the case of using stem cells, and specifically mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to treat pancreatitis, researchers are interested in the ability of these stem cells to regenerate damaged cells and to influence the immunological and inflammatory response resulting from this condition.
A significant issue that has stymied progress in the ability of the pancreas to self-repair and regenerate when affected by pancreatitis is the perceived lack of stem cells found specifically in the tissue of the pancreas. While there has been conflicting research into whether or not stem cells exist in pancreatic tissue, the research reviewed by the authors indicates that there appears to be a tiny amount of stem cells located within pancreatic tissue.
Considering this and considering that additional research indicates that other stem cells found in the pancreas appear to originate from bone marrow (BM), the authors believe the ability of MSCs’ ability to differentiate will support the healing of the pancreas; these include stem cell sources from BM, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Source: “Stem cell therapy: a potential for the perils of pancreatitis – PMC – NCBI.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7433995/.
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