Extra-anatomic transplantations in autologous adult cell therapies aiding anatomical regeneration and physiological recovery – An insight and categorization

Autologous mature adult cells as well as stem cells, which are not considered pluripotent, have been reported to be safe and efficacious in clinical applications for regenerating cartilage and corneal epithelium. Use of primary autologous cells and stems cells expanded in number from cartilage and corneal epithelial tissues have shown abilities to reconstruct and regenerate tissues, de novo. It is to be noted that in both these cases, the source of the cells that have been used for transplantation into the cornea and cartilage have been from the same organ and tissue. The replacement cells for regeneration have also been sourced from the same germ layer, as that of the cells of the target tissue; corneal epithelial tissue embryologically originating from the ectoderm has been replaced with corneal limbal stem cells that are also of ectodermal origin from the unaffected healthy eye of the same individual. Similarly, the cartilage which developmentally is from the mesoderm has been replaced with mature chondrocytes from the non-weight bearing area of the cartilage, again of the same individual.