The mesenchymal stromal cell magic bullet finds yet another target

Abstract

Rojas and colleagues have presented an exciting paper demonstrating yet another relevant preclinical setting in which the mesenchymal stromal cell has a potential therapeutic application. What is particularly interesting about this study is that it addresses a disease, blood-borne systemic sepsis, which has multiple complex host responses and involves a variety of disparate organs and immune cell types. Here, the authors focus on how this injury relates more specifically to the lung, with quite dramatic improvements in several assessed injury parameters. Where does this latest demonstration of mesenchymal stromal cell efficacy leave us with regard to getting these cell therapies to the acute respiratory distress syndrome patient?. © 2014 Masterson and O'Toole; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.