Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that targets the synovial joints of the body that holds a massive burden on healthcare worldwide. The progression of the disease is mediated in congruence of the adaptive immune cells (T-and B-cells) and synovial fibroblast activation. In the last decade, standard treatment options for RA have demonstrated significant improvements but often fail to deliver a long-term therapeutic outcome and, in some cases, cause adverse effects leading to treatment termination. Treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been recently studied in RA because of the unique immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory capacities of the MSCs needed to combat RA. Pre-clinical and clinical trials have demonstrated that MSCs derived from adipose tissue, bone marrow, and umbilical cord tissue possess immunomodulatory capabilities that alter the dysfunctional immune cells involved with the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases including RA. Specifically, these trials have demonstrated the immunomodulation ability of MSCs on the proliferation of memory T cells as well as their ability to migrate to inflamed tissue associated with synovitis in RA.
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