Immunomodulatory effect of mesenchymal stem cells on B cells

• Published in: Frontiers in immunology Vol. 3; p. 212
• Main Authors: Franquesa, Marcella, Hoogduijn, M J, Bestard, O, Grinyó, J M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 01.01.2012; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: B cells; Chronic Allograft Rejection; Humoral rejection; Immunology; Immunomodulation; MSc; immunomodulation; B cells; humoral rejection; MSC; chronic allograft rejection
• ISSN: 1664-3224; 1664-3224
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00212

The research on T cell immunosuppression therapies has attracted most of the attention in clinical transplantation. However, B cells and humoral immune responses are increasingly acknowledged as crucial mediators of chronic allograft rejection. Indeed, humoral immune responses can lead to renal allograft rejection even in patients whose cell-mediated immune responses are well controlled. On the other hand, newly studied B cell subsets with regulatory effects have been linked to tolerance achievement in transplantation. Better understanding of the regulatory and effector B cell responses may therefore lead to new therapeutic approaches. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are arising as a potent therapeutic tool in transplantation due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. The research on MSCs has mainly focused on their effects on T cells and although data regarding the modulatory effects of MSCs on alloantigen-specific humoral response in humans is scarce, it has been demonstrated that MSCs significantly affect B cell functioning. In the present review we will analyze and discuss the results in this field.