Recent advances into the understanding of mesenchymal stem cell trafficking

Abstract

SummaryThe use of adult stem cells to regenerate damaged tissue circumvents the moral and technical issues associated with the use of those from an embryonic source. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can be isolated from a variety of tissues, most commonly from the bone marrow, and, although they represent a very small percentage of these cells, are easily expandable. Recently, the use of MSC has provided clinical benefit to patients with osteogenesis imperfecta, graft-versushost disease and myocardial infarction. The cellular cues that enabled the MSC to be directed to the sites of tissue damage and the mechanisms by which MSC then exert their therapeutic effect are becoming clearer. This review discusses the relative therapeutic importance of the ability of MSC to differentiate into multiple cell lineages or stimulate resident or attracted cells via a paracrine mode of action. It also reviews recent findings that MSC home to damaged tissues in a similar, but somewhat distinct, manner to that of leucocytes via the utilisation of adhesion molecules, such as selectins and integrins, and chemokines and their receptors in a manner reminiscent of leucocytes trafficking from the blood stream to inflammatory sites.

C3a and C5a Are Chemotactic Factors for Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Which Cause Prolonged ERK1/2 Phosphorylation

“…M esenchymal stem cells (MSCs) 4 hold a great therapeutic potential for tissue regeneration, since they can differentiate into bone, cartilage, tendon, and muscle, including cardiac muscle, fat, and fibroblasts (1,2). Adult bone marrow MSCs can also be harvested and expanded in vitro in sufficient cell numbers to hold promise for clinical applications of tissue repair.…”

CXCR4 signaling in the regulation of stem cell migration and development

“…Thus, stem cells for repair of non-hematopoietic tissues may also be deposited in stem cell niches during development and are mobilized when required through the utilization of CXCR4 mediated signaling. Indeed, in addition to HSCs, the adult BM also contains other types of stem cells that can potentially be used for repair of different tissues (Fox et al, 2007;Kucia et al, 2005a). It is likely that these cells express CXCR4 receptors and can follow SDF-1 gradients to areas of damage where they are required for repair purposes.…”

“…CXCR4 expressing endothelial progenitors in the BM or elsewhere may then migrate to the damaged region (Hristov et al, 2007). Following myocardial infarction SDF-1 expression increases in the damaged portion of the heart and mesenchymal stem cells, also localized in the BM, can migrate to this region for cardiac repair purposes (Fox et al, 2007).…”

Adult Stem Cell Mobilization Enhances Intramembranous Bone Regeneration: A Pilot Study

“…These endogenous progenitor cells can be mobilized to the PB [1,11,12,15,17,22,36,48,52]. Circulating MSCs, and perhaps other adult stem cells, home to sites of skeletal injury [14,23,29,35,45,54], and increasing the number of adult stem cells at sites of injury aids tissue regeneration [4,8,16,40,43,56] either directly or through trophic effects [5,8,17,53].…”