POTENTIAL OF UMBILICAL CORD MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL (UC-MSC) IN THERAPY OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints. Generally, this disease is suffered by elderly patients. However, it is possible to occur at a young age, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), the most common type of arthritis in children and adolescents. Conventional therapies given to patients with rheumatoid arthritis to modulate the immune response, including disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have limited therapeutic effects in RA patients. Long-term use of these drugs can cause side effects and resistance to therapy. In recent years mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are highly recommended therapy. They are considered promising because MSCs are potential immunomodulators that can differentiate into various cell types and stimulate tissue repair. These cells also have strong chemotactic abilities because they can migrate to damaged tissues and act as an anti-inflammatory. Therefore, MSC is potentially suitable for autoimmune therapy, plus there has been a lot of research evidence (clinical trials) stating that there are no toxicity and side effects in the long term. One type of MSC based on its tissue source is umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, which are believed to be the best among other types in terms of non-invasive isolation procedure, superior biological characteristics such as low immunogenicity, better separation efficiency, differentiation, and selfrenewal ability [1]. This review discusses a UC-MSC-based therapeutic approach in children, adults, and the elderly focusing on published clinical data and clinical trials for the treatment of RA that are currently ongoing.