Adult Stem Cells in Human Disease

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Stem Cells".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 2666

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
FIERCE Lab, BIOMED, UHasselt-Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
Interests: dental pulp stem cells; oncology; peripheral neuropathies; Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
FIERCE Lab, BIOMED, UHasselt-Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
Interests: dental pulp stem cells; Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; nerve repair; Schwann cells; dental pulp stem cells; iPSC; animal models

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
LISSA Lab, BIOMED, UHasselt-Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
Interests: dental pulp stem cells; tooth organoids; angiogenesis; ischemic stroke

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have emerged as a promising tool in disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Found within the dental pulp, these stem cells possess the ability to differentiate into various cell types, including neural, bone, cartilage, and endothelial cells. In addition, these remarkable cells produce a wide variety of factors with beneficial results in the context of immunomodulation, inflammation, angiogenesis, etc. These unique characteristics have captured the attention of researchers and clinicians, as DPSCs offer potential therapeutic applications in a wide range of diseases and disorders.

This Special Issue will explore the use of DPSCs in several diseases and their therapeutic potential. We encourage submissions in the form of original research articles and reviews on all aspects related to the topic. Expert articles shedding light on the following topics are highly welcome: DPSC-based disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and other therapeutic approaches.

Prof. Dr. Esther Wolfs
Dr. Tim Vangansewinkel
Dr. Annelies Bronckaers
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dental pulp stem cells
  • disease
  • regenerative medicine
  • disease modeling

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 2441 KiB  
Article
Dental Pulp Stem Cells Modulate Inflammasome Pathway and Collagen Deposition of Dermal Fibroblasts
by Giada Zanini, Giulia Bertani, Rosanna Di Tinco, Alessandra Pisciotta, Laura Bertoni, Valentina Selleri, Luigi Generali, Alessandra Marconi, Anna Vittoria Mattioli, Marcello Pinti, Gianluca Carnevale and Milena Nasi
Cells 2024, 13(10), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13100836 - 14 May 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1899
Abstract
Fibrosis is a pathological condition consisting of a delayed deposition and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by fibroblasts. This deregulation is mostly triggered by a chronic stimulus mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1, which activate fibroblasts. Due to their [...] Read more.
Fibrosis is a pathological condition consisting of a delayed deposition and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by fibroblasts. This deregulation is mostly triggered by a chronic stimulus mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1, which activate fibroblasts. Due to their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive potential, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) could affect fibrotic processes. This study aims to clarify if DPSCs can affect fibroblast activation and modulate collagen deposition. We set up a transwell co-culture system, where DPSCs were seeded above the monolayer of fibroblasts and stimulated with LPS or a combination of TNF-α and IL-1β and quantified a set of genes involved in inflammasome activation or ECM deposition. Cytokines-stimulated co-cultured fibroblasts, compared to unstimulated ones, showed a significant increase in the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, NAIP, AIM2, CASP1, FN1, and TGF-β genes. At the protein level, IL-1β and IL-6 release as well as FN1 were increased in stimulated, co-cultured fibroblasts. Moreover, we found a significant increase of MMP-9 production, suggesting a role of DPSCs in ECM remodeling. Our data seem to suggest a crosstalk between cultured fibroblasts and DPSCs, which seems to modulate genes involved in inflammasome activation, ECM deposition, wound healing, and fibrosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adult Stem Cells in Human Disease)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 584 KiB  
Review
Rejuvenated Autologous Adult Stem Cells: Emerging Front Runners in the Fight Against Aging and Associated Diseases
by An Yu, Changguo Ma and Min Hu
Cells 2025, 14(15), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14151153 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 107
Abstract
The growing global elderly population underscores the escalating importance of anti-aging interventions to combat age-related diseases and extend both health span and lifespan. Over the past decades, various anti-aging interventions have gained recognition, each with its unique set of advantages and limitations. Notably, [...] Read more.
The growing global elderly population underscores the escalating importance of anti-aging interventions to combat age-related diseases and extend both health span and lifespan. Over the past decades, various anti-aging interventions have gained recognition, each with its unique set of advantages and limitations. Notably, the transplantation of rejuvenated autologous adult stem cells is standing out as a powerful strategy that holds significant promise in combating age-related functional decline and diseases. This review delves into our current biological insights into cellular rejuvenation and provides an overview of both pre-clinical and clinical experiences with autologous and allogeneic adult stem cell transplantations. It reinforces the concept that rejuvenated adult stem cells constitute a pivotal element in the quest for the fountain of youth. Additionally, we examine the technical challenges involved in obtaining and utilizing these rejuvenated adult stem cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adult Stem Cells in Human Disease)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop