Tissue regeneration: The crosstalk between mesenchymal stem cells and immune response

• Published in: Cellular immunology Vol. 326; pp. 86 - 93
• Main Authors: Qi, Kai, Li, Na, Zhang, Zhenyu, Melino, Gerry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.04.2018
• Subjects: Adaptive Immunity - immunology; Cell Communication - immunology; Humans; Immune responses; Immune System - cytology; Immune System - immunology; Immunity, Innate - immunology; Immunomodulation - immunology; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - immunology; Regeneration - immunology; Wound Healing - immunology; Immune responses; Mesenchymal stem cells
• ISSN: 0008-8749; 1090-2163
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2017.11.010

•The immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).•The interaction between MSCs and those critical immune cells in human innate and adaptive immune systems.•MSCs-mediated immunomodulation is highly plastic depending on the inflammatory status in microenvironment of diseases Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exist in almost all tissues with the capability to differentiate into several different cell types and hold great promise in tissue repairs in a cell replacement manner. The study of the bidirectional regulation between MSCs and immune response has ushered an age of rethinking of tissue regeneration in the process of stem cell-based tissue repairs. By sensing damaged signals, both endogenous and exogenous MSCs migrate to the damaged site where they involve in the reconstitution of the immune microenvironment and empower tissue stem/progenitor cells and other resident cells, whereby facilitate tissue repairs. This MSC-based therapeutic manner is conferred as cell empowerment. In this process, MSCs have been found to exert extensive immunosuppression on both innate and adaptive immune response, while such regulation needs to be licensed by inflammation. More importantly, the immunoregulation of MSCs is highly plastic, especially in the context of pathological microenvironment. Understanding the immunoregulatory properties of MSCs is necessary for appropriate application of MSCs. Here we review the current studies on the crosstalk of MSCs and immune response in disease pathogenesis and therapy.