Immune modulation by mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their stromal progeny may be considered powerful regulatory cells, a sort of dendritic cell counterpart, which influence all the main immune effectors and functional roles in vivo, as well as potential applications in the treatment of a number of human immunological diseases. By choosing MSC tissue origin, cell dose, administration route, and treatment schedule, all the potential side effects related to MSC use, including tumor growth enhancement, have to be well considered to maximize the benefits of MSC-dependent immune regulation without significant risks for the patients. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG.