Korean J Intern Med.  2013 Jul;28(4):387-402. 10.3904/kjim.2013.28.4.387.

Clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cells

• Kim N
• Cho SG

• KMID: 1503774
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2013.28.4.387

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent progenitor cells with multilineage potential to differentiate into cell types of mesodermal origin, such as adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. In addition, MSCs can migrate to sites of inflammation and exert potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects through interactions between lymphocytes associated with both the innate and adaptive immune system. Along with these unique therapeutic properties, their ease of accessibility and expansion suggest that use of MSCs may be a useful therapeutic approach for various disorders. In the clinical setting, MSCs are being explored in trials of various conditions, including orthopedic injuries, graft versus host disease following bone marrow transplantation, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and liver diseases. Furthermore, genetic modification of MSCs to overexpress antitumor genes has provided prospects for clinical use as anticancer therapy. Here, we highlight the currently reported uses of MSCs in clinical trials and discuss their efficacy as well as their limitations.

Keyword

Clinical trial; Tissue therapy; Graft vs host disease; Mesenchymal stromal cells

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cell Differentiation
Cell Lineage
Cell Movement
Cell Proliferation
Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
*Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/immunology/*physiology
*Regeneration
Regenerative Medicine/*methods
Treatment Outcome