Mesenchymal stromal cells: what have we learned so far about their therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action?



Amadeo, Francesco ORCID: 0000-0002-3868-2348, Cepeda, Katherine Trivino, Littlewood, James, Wilm, Bettina ORCID: 0000-0002-9245-993X, Taylor, Arthur ORCID: 0000-0003-2028-6694 and Murray, Patricia
(2021) Mesenchymal stromal cells: what have we learned so far about their therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action? EMERGING TOPICS IN LIFE SCIENCES, 5 (4). pp. 549-562.

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Abstract

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been found to be safe and effective in a wide range of animal models of human disease. MSCs have been tested in thousands of clinical trials, but results show that while these cells appear to be safe, they tend to lack efficacy. This has raised questions about whether animal models are useful for predicting efficacy in patients. However, a problem with animal studies is that there is a lack of standardisation in the models and MSC therapy regimes used; there appears to be publication bias towards studies reporting positive outcomes; and the reproducibility of results from animal experiments tends not to be confirmed prior to clinical translation. A further problem is that while some progress has been made towards investigating the mechanisms of action (MoA) of MSCs, we still fail to understand how they work. To make progress, it is important to ensure that prior to clinical translation, the beneficial effects of MSCs in animal studies are real and can be repeated by independent research groups. We also need to understand the MoA of MSCs to assess whether their effects are likely to be beneficial across different species. In this review, we give an overview of the current clinical picture of MSC therapies and discuss what we have learned from animal studies. We also give a comprehensive update of what we know about the MoA of MSCs, particularly in relation to their role in immunomodulation.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Animals, Humans, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation, Reproducibility of Results, Immunity, Immunomodulation
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 26 Nov 2021 11:21
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:24
DOI: 10.1042/ETLS20210013
Open Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34495324/
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3143917