Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA.
Stem Cells. 2012 Jan;30(1):61-8. doi: 10.1002/stem.768.
Stem cells are essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and mediating physiological and pathological regeneration. Recent breakthroughs in stem cell biology have generated tremendous enthusiasm and hope for the therapeutic potential of stem cells in regenerative medicine. However, this research is still in an early development stage. An improved understanding of stem cell biology is required to precisely manipulate stem cell fate and to harness these cells for regenerative medicine. Small molecules, targeting specific signaling pathways and mechanisms, are powerful tools for manipulating stem cells for desired outcomes. Those small molecules are increasingly important in probing the fundamental mechanisms of stem cell biology and facilitating the development of therapeutic approaches for regenerative medicine. These could involve cell replacement therapies with homogenous functional cells produced under chemically defined conditions in vitro and the development of small-molecule drugs that modulate patient's endogenous cells for therapeutic benefit.
干细胞对于维持组织内稳态和介导生理及病理再生至关重要。干细胞生物学的最新突破为其在再生医学中的治疗潜力带来了巨大的热情和希望。然而，这项研究仍处于早期发展阶段。为了精确地调控干细胞命运并将这些细胞应用于再生医学，我们需要更好地理解干细胞生物学。小分子可以靶向特定的信号通路和机制，是用于获得所需结果的操纵干细胞的有力工具。这些小分子在探索干细胞生物学的基本机制和促进再生医学治疗方法的发展方面变得越来越重要。这些方法包括用体外化学定义条件下产生的同质功能性细胞进行细胞替代疗法，以及开发调节患者内源性细胞以获得治疗益处的小分子药物。
