Comments on: “Mesenchymal stem cells transplantation for perianal fistulas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials”

Abstract

The meta-analysis by Wang et al. (Stem Cell Res Ther 14(1):103, 2023) aims to explore whether mesenchymal stem cells are effective for perianal fistulas. The authors indicated that the difference in cell types, cell sources and cell dosages did not influence mesenchymal stem cells’ efficacy, which may not be accurate. I think that local treatment with higher dosages of mesenchymal stem cells seems to not result in a higher healing rate. And, future trials should focus on donor characteristics considering past medical history of further autoimmunity, timely and cost-effective treatment to lighten the optimized therapeutic goals. In the future, it will be interesting to assess the safety and feasibility of injection of fibrin glue combined with mesenchymal stem cells in perianal fistulas.