Cell therapy refers to an innovative approach, in which autologous or allogeneic stem cells or differentiated somatic cells are reinfused back into the body through venous blood circulation or tissue in situ colonization after in vitro dedifferentiation or induced differentiation, culture amplification and genetic modification to achieve the goal of treating diseases by repairing or reconstructing tissues and organs, or by activating immune responses. Cell therapy leads an important paradigm shift in medical biology and marks the arrival of a new era in the history of pharmacological intervention. Compared with traditional small molecule chemical drugs and biological products, living cells are a complex organic whole involved in the body fine regulatory network and have shown great advantages and potential in clinical treatment for some complex and intractable diseases. Currently, preclinical and clinical researches on multiple innovative therapeutic strategies based on stem and immune cells are being actively optimized and explored, and have achieved many impressive results. This article reviewed the significant articles published in the field of cell therapy in 2022 from the aspects of both basic research and clinical application, summarized recent advances and major breakthroughs in stem cell therapy and immune cell therapy for the treatment of human diseases, and analyzed the challenges, hopefully powering the rapid progress in this field.

Cell therapy; Stem cell; Immune cell; Basic research; Clinical application