Clinical Utility of Stem Cells in Congenital Anomalies: New Horizons in Pediatric Surgery

Congenital anomalies account for more than one-third of all pediatric hospital admissions annually. The defect in most cases is absence of normal functioning tissue or dysfunctional tissue. Cure in such cases often requires excision of dysfunctional tissue and replacement by healthy functioning tissue. Such tissues, however, are seldom available. Using the regenerative potential of multipotent stem cells which have the ability to self-renew, differentiate into specialized tissue, and protect healthy tissues against ischemia and inflammation-induced injury represents a lucrative option available to the pediatric surgeons for the management of such cases. Actual clinical use, however, has been limited by stem cell availability and lack of required expertise for their optimal usage. Pediatric surgeons are best-positioned for optimal utilization of stem cells for congenital anomalies, and in this article, the author has reviewed the latest research on stem cell usage in difficult to treat pediatric surgical diseases and its future implications.