Strategies to improve regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

In the last few decades, stem cell-based therapies have gained attention worldwide for various diseases and disorders. Adult stem cells, particularlymesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are preferred due to their significantregenerative potential in cellular therapies and are currently involved inhundreds of clinical trials. Although MSCs have high self-renewal as well asdifferentiation potential, such abilities are compromised with “advanced age” and“disease status” of the donor. Similarly, cell-based therapies require high cellnumber for clinical applications that often require in vitro expansion of cells. It ispertinent to note that aged individuals are the main segment of population forstem cell-based therapies, however; autologous use of stem cells for such patients(aged and diseased) does not seem to give optimal results due to their compromisedpotential. In vitro expansion to obtain large numbers of cells alsonegatively affects the regenerative potential of MSCs. It is therefore essential toimprove the regenerative potential of stem cells compromised due to “in vitroexpansion”, “donor age” and “donor disease status” for their successfulautologous use. The current review has been organized to address the age anddisease depleted function of resident adult stem cells, and the strategies toimprove their potential. To combat the problem of decline in the regenerativepotential of cells, this review focuses on the strategies that manipulate the cellenvironment such as hypoxia, heat shock, caloric restriction and preconditioningwith different factors