Significance: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being administered to cutaneous wounds with the goal of accelerating wound closure and promoting regeneration instead of scar formation. An ongoing challenge for cell-based therapies is achieving effective and optimal targeted delivery and engraftment at the site of injury. Contributing to this challenge is our incomplete understanding of endogenous MSC homing to sites of injury. Recent Advances: Chemokines and their receptors are now recognized as important mediators of stem cell homing. To date, the most studied chemokinechemokine receptor axis in MSC homing to wounds is CXCL12-CXCR4 but recent work suggests that CCL27-CCR10 and CCL21-CCR7 may also be involved. Critical Issues: Strategies to enhance chemokine-mediated MSC homing to wounds are using a variety of approaches to amplify the chemokine signal at the wound site and/or overexpress specific chemokine receptors on the surface of the MSC. Future Directions: Harnessing chemokine signaling may enhance the therapeutic effects of stem cell therapy by increasing the number of both exogenous and endogenous stem cells recruited to the site of injury. Alternatively, chemokine-based therapies directly targeting endogenous stem cells may circumvent the need for the time-consuming and costly isolation and expansion of autologous stem cells prior to therapeutic administration.
SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANCEMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being administered to cutaneous wounds with the goal of accelerating wound closure and promoting regeneration instead of scar formation.1 An ongoing challenge for cell-based therapies is achieving effective and optimal targeted delivery and engraftment at the site of injury. Contributing to this challenge is our incomplete understanding of endogenous MSC homing to sites of injury.2 This review will summarize our current knowledge about the role of chemokines in MSC recruitment to wounds.
TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCEThe translational relevance for research defining the chemokines responsible for stem cell homing is significant with a direct impact on stem cell therapy. Harnessing chemokine signaling may enhance the therapeutic effects of stem cell therapy by increasing the number of both exogenous and endogenous stem cells recruited to the site of injury. Alternatively, chemokine-based therapies directly targeting endogenous stem cells may circumvent the need for the time-consuming and costly isolation and expansion of autologous stem cells prior to therapeutic administration.
CLINICAL RELEVANCEOngoing clinical trials are investigating the safety and efficacy of MSC therapy for the treatment of