Work

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells and Their Paracrine Activity—Immunomodulation Mechanisms and How to Influence the Therapeutic Potential

Year: 2022

Type: review

Abstract: With high clinical interest to be applied in regenerative medicine, Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells have been widely studied due to their multipotency, wide distribution, and relative ease of isolation and expansion in vitro. Their remarkable biological characteristics and high immunomodulatory influence have opened doors to the application of MSCs in many clinical settings. The therapeutic influence of these cells and the interaction with the immune system seems to occur both directly and through a paracrine route, with the production and secretion of soluble factors and extracellular vesicles. The complex mechanisms through which this influence takes place is not fully understood, but several functional manipulation techniques, such as cell engineering, priming, and preconditioning, have been developed. In this review, the knowledge about the immunoregulatory and immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs and their secretion products is revisited, with a special focus on the phenomena of migration and homing, direct cell action and paracrine activity. The techniques for homing improvement, cell modulation and conditioning prior to the application of paracrine factors were also explored. Finally, multiple assays where different approaches were applied with varying success were used as examples to justify their exploration.

Source: Pharmaceutics

DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020381

Authors: Rui Alvites, Mariana Branquinho, Ana C. Sousa, Bruna Lopes, Patrícia Sousa, Ana Colette Maurício

Institutions: Universidade do Porto, Centro de Estudos de Ciencia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Albel Salazar

Language: English

Topic: Mesenchymal stem cell research

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,513