STEM CELLS AND GENE THERAPY IN OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY

Abstract

Stem cell biology is now one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing areas of scientific effort. Replacement of damaged or malfunctioned tissues by using stem cells is on the horizon in clinical practice for the cure of a wide variety of diseases. Stem cells are by definition a population of cells able to provide replacement cells for a specific differentiated cell type. Stem cells are different from other cell types in their ability to divide and renew themselves over long periods of time and their ability to replicate or proliferate several times i.e. self-renewing. Stem cells are not specialized and can differentiate into specialized cells. Stem cells may be defined as either totipotent, pluripotent, or multipotent whereby the stem cell is able to form all, most, or a small number of cells and/or tissues of an organism, respectively. Stem cells can be used: 1. For the development of new methods to repair or replace tissues or cells damaged by injuries or diseases. 2. For the generation of normal human cell lines to be used in drug development. 3. In gene therapy: Stem cells could be used as vehicles for the therapeutic delivery of genes.