Perspectives on mesenchymal stem cells: Tissue repair, immune modulation, and tumor homing

• Published in: Archives of pharmacal research Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 201 - 211
• Main Authors: Hong, Hyun Sook, Kim, Yeong Hoon, Son, Youngsook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Pharmaceutical Society of Korea 01.02.2012; 대한약학회
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Autoimmune Diseases - therapy; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Drug Carriers - therapeutic use; Humans; Immune Tolerance - physiology; Medicine; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - physiology; Models, Biological; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Review; Wound Healing - physiology; 약학; Tumor homing; Inflammation; MSC; Adipose stem cell; Tissue repair; Immune modulation
• ISSN: 0253-6269; 1976-3786; 1976-3786
• DOI: 10.1007/s12272-012-0201-0

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or MSC-like cells have been identified in a variety of different tissues that share molecular expression profiles and biological functions but also retain a unique differentiation preference depending on their tissue origins. MSCs play beneficial roles in the healing of damaged tissue by directly differentiating to many different resident cell types and/or by secreting several trophic factors that aid tissue repair. Aside from MSCs’ reparative stem cell function, they drive immune responses toward immunosuppression and anti-inflammation. This novel function of MSCs opens up new avenues for clinical development of MSC immune-therapeutics to treat uncontrollable, life threatening, severe, chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. Unexpectedly high rates of MSCs’ tumor homing capacity and their tumor supporting capability have also been noted in tumor-bearing animal models. In this review, we will discuss MSCs’ basic cell biology and perspectives on MSCs in terms of tissue repair, immune modulation, and tumor homing.