Prodigious therapeutic effects of combining mesenchymal stem cells with magnetic nanoparticles

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained wide-ranging reputation in the medical research community due to their promising regenerative abilities. MSCs can be isolated from various resources mostly bone marrow, Adipose tissues and Umbilical cord. Huge advances have been achieved in comprehending the possible mechanisms underlying the therapeutic functions of MSCs. Despite the proven role of MSCs in repairing and healing of many disease modalities, many hurdles hinder the transferring of these cells in the clinical settings. Among the most reported problems encountering MSCs therapy in vivo are loss of tracking signal post-transplantation, insufficient migration, homing and engraftment post-infusion, and undesirable differentiation at the site of injury. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been used widely for various biomedical applications. MNPs have a metallic core stabilized by an outer coating material and their magnetic properties can be modulated by an external magnetic field. These magnetic properties of MNPs were found to enhance the quality of diagnostic imaging procedures and can be used to create a carrying system for targeted delivery of therapeutic substances mainly drug, genes and stem cells. Several studies highlighted the advantageous outcomes of combining MSCs with MNPs in potentiating their tracking, monitoring, homing, engraftment and differentiation. In this review, we will discuss the role of MNPs in promoting the therapeutic profile of MSCs which may improve the success rate of MSCs transplantation and solve many challenges that delay their clinical applicability.

Key Words: Mesenchymal stem cells, Magnetic nanoparticles, Tracking, Homing, Migration, Differentiation

Core Tip: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been thoroughly investigated in many disease models and they showed great therapeutic potential. Despite the confirmed therapeutic abilities of MSCs, many challenges still exist which hinder the transfer of these cells to the treatment guidelines. The incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with MSCs has been reported to increase the therapeutic outcomes of MSCs by solving major challenges that impede their long–term regenerative effects. MNPs are able to improve the ability to track and deliver MSCs and to increase their migration, homing, survival and differentiation in vitro and in vivo. This may help increase the success rate of MSCs transplantation and thus increase the chance to include these cells in the treatment guidelines used in different clinical settings.

• Citation: Abu-El-Rub E, Khasawneh RR, Almahasneh F. Prodigious therapeutic effects of combining mesenchymal stem cells with magnetic nanoparticles. World J Stem Cells 2022; 14(7): 513-526
• URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-0210/full/v14/i7/513.htm
• DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v14.i7.513