Regulatory Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Secondary Inflammation in Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic condition with high morbidity and mortality that still lacks effective therapeutic strategies. It is well known that the most important stage in SCI pathogenesis is secondary injury, and among the involved mechanisms, the inflammatory cascade is the main contributor and directly influences neurological function recovery. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is a promising immunomodulatory strategy. Transplanted MSCs can regulate macrophage-, astrocyte-, and T lymphocyte-mediated neuroinflammation and help create a microenvironment that facilitates tissue repair and regeneration. This review focuses on the effects of different types of immune cells and MSCs, specifically the immunoregulatory capacity of MSCs in SCI and repair. We will also discuss how to exploit MSCs transplantation to regulate immune cells and develop novel therapeutic strategies for SCI.

A multi-channel collagen conduit with aligned Schwann cells and endothelial cells for enhanced neuronal regeneration in spinal cord injury

“…Cytokines secreted by strong inflammation-induced reactive astrocytes form glial scars, which causes secondary damage that is detrimental to SCI function recovery. 79 We showed that inflammation was reduced by decreasing cell debris and reactive astrocytes, which play an important role in the damage through a series of processes that cause secondary damage and functional recovery. Therefore, we measured the inflammatory reaction in each transplant group after the pathological response.…”

Function and mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells in the healing of diabetic foot wounds

“…In addition to their ability to differentiate into different cell types, MSCs also play a regulatory role in inflammatory and immune responses. Many studies have shown that after cell or tissue injury, MSCs can be activated by inflammatory cytokines and control the process of tissue regeneration by releasing a series of factors that may promote the differentiation and proliferation of progenitor cells while participating in immune regulation and inhibiting inflammatory responses ( 67 , 183 , 184 ). ( Figure 2 ).…”

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC‐derived exosomes in animal models of central nervous system diseases: Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome

“…On the other hand, a large number of investigations have shown the promising therapeutic effect of MSCs in CNS disorders, such as SCI, stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression 20,85,93–96 . Indeed, due to such MSCs properties as renewal, multipotent differentiation, and, most significantly, anti‐inflammatory capabilities, they have been considered the ideal agents for this purpose 97 .…”