Sources and Clinical Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: State-of-the-art review

Abstract

First discovered by Friedenstein in 1976, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells found throughout the body that share a fixed set of characteristics. Discovered initially in the bone marrow, this cell source is considered the gold standard for clinical research, although various other sources—including adipose tissue, dental pulp, mobilised peripheral blood and birth-derived tissues—have since been identified. Although similar, MSCs derived from different sources possess distinct characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, including their differentiation potential and proliferation capacity, which influence their applicability. Hence, they may be used for specific clinical applications in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This review article summarises current knowledge regarding the various sources, characteristics and therapeutic applications of MSCs.Keywords: Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Adult Stem Cells; Regenerative Medicine; Cell Differentiation; Tissue Engineering.

Mechanisms underlying the protective effects of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy

“…It is considered that MSCs refer to cells derived from the bone marrow, but not necessarily those from other sites such as adipose tissue, which are often termed as adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). However, MSCs derived from different origins have different characteristics and differentiation potential [25,26]. Moreover, MSCs from different sources display significant differences in the levels of several paracrine factors [27].…”

“…Although MSCs can hypothetically be obtained from almost any tissue within the human body, the MSC surface markers, quality and isolated numbers are restricted by various donor characteristics. There are also practical limitations concerning the difficulty and invasiveness of the procurement process [25]. To select an adequate cell source, the practitioner must consider both advantages and disadvantages of procuring MSCs with regard to the difficulty and potential adverse effects of harvesting donor the cells.…”

“…However, ectomesenchymal and periodontal tissues can affect the properties of dental pulp-derived MSCs [28]. MSCs derived from birth-related tissues (amnion, placenta and umbilical cord) demonstrate higher expansion and engraftment capacity, but these cells are not as useful as those from bone marrow or blood in terms of osteogenesis [25]. Obtaining MSCs from different tissues will demonstrate various characteristics that may differ due to the tissue source, health condition, and age of the donor.…”

Recent Advances in Stem Cell Research in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

“…Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become an increasingly popular choice to use for the treatment of SAH. MSCs can be derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue (AD-MSCs), human umbilical cord (HUC-MSCs), and dental pulp or other allogeneic sources [51]. BM-MSCs are the most frequently used resources probably because they can be abundantly acquired from the host relatively easy.…”

Mesenchymal stem cells’ homing and cardiac tissue repair

“…For the first time, Friedenstein and others (Friedenstein et al, 1970) described bone marrow-derived fibroblast-like cells which later became the most extensively studied MSCs. Subsequently these cells were also found in the adipose tissue, muscle, dental pulp, periosteum, synovium, and synovial fluid, tendons, endometrium, skin, lungs, chorionic villi, peripheral blood, menstrual blood, breast milk, as well as in umbilical cord, Wharton's jelly, placenta, and umbilical cord blood (Eleuteri & Fierabracci, 2019;Berebichez-Fridman & Montero-Olvera, 2018;Kong et al, 2019).…”