Mesenchymal stem cells in ischemic tissue regeneration

Diseases caused by ischemia are one of the leading causes of death in the world. Current therapies for treating acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and critical limb ischemia do not complete recovery. Regenerative therapies opens new therapeutic strategy in the treatment of ischemic disorders. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising option in the field of cell-based therapies, due to their secretory and immunomodulatory abilities, that contribute to ease inflammation and promote the regeneration of damaged tissues. This review presents the current knowledge of the mechanisms of action of MSCs and their therapeutic effects in the treatment of ischemic diseases, described on the basis of data from in vitro experiments and preclinical animal studies, and also summarize the effects of using these cells in clinical trial settings. Since the obtained therapeutic benefits are not always satisfactory, approaches aimed at enhancing the effect of MSCs in regenerative therapies are presented at the end.

Key Words: Ischemia, Mesenchymal stem cells, Regenerative medicine, Stem cell therapy, Clinical applications

Core Tip: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is an innovative therapy with positive therapeutic effects for many ischemic diseases. Ischemia of an area is defined as insufficient blood supply to specific tissues and various organs or individual parts of the body. The leading cause of tissue ischemia is the narrowing or blockage of the lumen of an artery, most often due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, thrombus, or spasms of a specific artery. Here, the potential therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs in ischemic diseases were discussed, along with examples of preclinical and clinical studies.

• Citation: Szydlak R. Mesenchymal stem cells in ischemic tissue regeneration. World J Stem Cells 2023; 15(2): 16-30
• URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-0210/full/v15/i2/16.htm
• DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v15.i2.16