Stem cell technology and engineering for cancer treatment

Stem cells are not only widely used for regenerative medicine, but are also considered as a useful tool for cancer treatment. For a long time, stem cells have been utilized to renew the immune system for radiation or chemotherapy treated patients. Recently, stem cells are being engineered to carry therapeutic reagents to target tumor sites. Cancer vaccines based on the knowledge of cancer stem cells have been studied and applied for cancer treatment. Induced pluripotent stem cells have been used to create active T cells to support cancer immunotherapy. Those are due to the unique characteristics of stem cells, such as immunological tolerance, migration, and tissue reparation. This review discusses stem cell applications in transplantation, stem cell-based carriers, induced-pluripotent stem cells, cancer stem cells, and potential of stem cells engineering to revolutionize cancer treatment. [Biomed Res Ther 2015; 2(6.000): 279-289