Editor’s Highlights: Regenerative Medicine 2022
Jasmine Hagan, Journal Development Editor of Regenerative Medicine looks back at Volume 17 of the journal and shares her top papers from the year.
2022 saw continued success for Regenerative Medicine as we continued to deliver the latest exciting developments in a constantly evolving field. We were delighted to publish over 80 articles on a range of topics, including the applications of platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem-cell therapy.
In this feature, I explore some of the highlights of the year, bringing you some of my favorite articles from Volume 17.
Regenerative medicine and traumatic brain injury: from stem cell to cell-free therapeutic strategies
In this Review article, the authors sought to explore how regenerative medicine could be used as a therapeutic strategy for traumatic brain injury. Currently, there is a lack of effective and standardized treatment for the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury due to its complexity. A variety of strategies are discussed in the review, including cell-free therapy utilizing stem-cell-derived secretory molecules, combined drug and stem therapies and engineered exosomes that can target specific cell types in the central nervous system. Among all the various strategies discussed in the review, cell-free therapeutics using exosomes were considered to be the most promising.
Challenges in the clinical translation of exosomal therapy in regenerative medicine
In light of rising interest in exosomal therapy, the authors of this Editorial explored the challenges associated with the bench to bedside translation of this treatment. Common challenges faced with the use of natural exosomes include low efficacy and efficiency, lack of specificity to the cellular target and a short-circulating half-life. The authors of the Editorial describe how engineered exosomes may be a more suitable alternative to natural exosomes for enhancing the therapeutic effects and longevity of the therapy.
Real-world evidence of mesenchymal stem-cell therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a large prospective two-year case series
With interest in mesenchymal stem-cell therapies becoming increasingly popular, the authors of this research article report their findings from a two-year clinical trial. Osteoarthritis is a common musculoskeletal disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. The researchers set out to explore how mesenchymal stem-cell therapy could be used in the management of mild to severe knee osteoarthritis. With over 300 participants in the study, the team found statistically significant pain improvements in patients with knee osteoarthritis following adipose-derived mesenchymal stem-cell therapies. The findings from the study are significant as they suggest that stem cell therapy can be used as an alternative and effective treatment for osteoarthritis.
Roles and responsibilities in stem-cell research: a focus group study with stem-cell researchers and patients
This qualitative study presents the perspectives of early and late-career stem-cell researchers and patients regarding the responsibilities of researchers, both in the lab and towards patients, and ethical challenges in the field of stem-cell research. The study explored the gaps in responsibility for ethical conduct in biomedical and stem-cell research. Key reasons behind this gap include lack of time, lack of regulation knowledge and underestimating the need for ethical consideration in research. If such challenges can indeed be overcome, it could lead to improvements in ethical conduct related to this field. The team proposed the adoption of open science initiatives, through alternative measures for rewarding scientific impact and collaboration amongst researchers, as a potential solution to the issues discussed.
Regenerative Medicine remains dedicated to publishing the latest developments in the field and we look forward to the year ahead with excitement as we continue to develop the journal and strengthen our relationship with RegMedNet.
Would you like to read more about the metrics behind Volume 17 Regenerative Medicine? Our recently published article discussing the highlights of 2022 from the journal and RegMedNet is now available online in our January issue.
If you are interested in publishing with Regenerative Medicine, please contact Journal Development Editor, Jasmine Hagan ([email protected]).
