Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies for Functional Endocrine System Organs: Tissue Engineering Applications and Future Strategies

Abstract

The endocrine system is a complex network that controls and regulates essential physiological reactions in the human body through certain chemical messengers called hormones in response to a signal. This system consists of highly vascularized ductless endocrine organs, including the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, gonads, and pancreas. Hormones secreted into the bloodstream circulate as signaling molecules and have vital roles in maintaining homeostasis through cellular communication due to their overall effects on target cells via binding to specific receptors throughout the body. Recently, significant progress has been made in stem cell applications of endocrine system organs, with studies bringing together experts from different scientific backgrounds, such as developmental biologists, endocrinologists, and tissue engineers. Thanks to the basic research on the generation of endocrine system organs in embryonic development, the literature on the role of the stem/progenitor cells of endocrine organs in the organogenesis and self-renewal of these organs has expanded. In light of these improvements, scientists are developing different treatment approaches for various endocrine diseases, metabolic disorders, and damaged tissue/organ repair through stem cells obtained from different sources. This chapter will comprehensively discuss the recent advances and promising stem cell-based applications on endocrine system organs and evaluate their therapeutic and clinical potential. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024. All rights reserved.