mesenchymal stem cell

Overview

Mesenchymal stem cell, more commonly referred to in the literature as a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC), is a multipotent cell type studied extensively in regenerative medicine, immunology, and tissue engineering. MSCs are typically investigated for their ability to support tissue repair through paracrine signaling, immunomodulation, and interactions with the local microenvironment rather than through direct long-term engraftment alone. In recent biomedical research, MSCs have been explored as cellular therapeutics for inflammatory, ischemic, degenerative, and traumatic conditions, including myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetic kidney disease, liver injury, wound healing, and respiratory disease.

A major theme across current studies is that MSC function is strongly influenced by delivery format and microenvironmental engineering. Investigators have examined MSC-derived exosomes, secretome, and conditioned media, as well as encapsulation in hydrogels, microgels, microspheres, and bioprinted constructs to improve cell survival, retention, and sustained release of trophic factors. Mechanistically, MSC-based therapies are often linked to anti-inflammatory cytokines, VEGFA, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, PI3K/Akt signaling, mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase, matrix metalloproteinase-9, MMP2, Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, and B-cell-related immune effects, reflecting their broad influence on tissue repair and immune regulation.

Recent Publications Focus

Below is a summary of the newest research publications targeting mesenchymal stem cell (sorted by publication date).

Recent studies have continued to explore mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in neonatal and pediatric inflammatory disease. A phase 2 multicentre, double-blind randomized controlled trial protocol in Canada (HULC-2) is evaluating repeated intravenous umbilical cord-derived MSC doses in extremely preterm infants at high risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, with ventilation-free days as the primary outcome and safety, respiratory, and neurodevelopmental endpoints also planned. In a first-in-human neonatal case report, intraventricular administration of SHED-derived MSCs was technically feasible and well tolerated in post-infectious hydrocephalus, with follow-up imaging and clinical observations suggesting possible short-term benefit, although causality could not be established because of concurrent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. MSCs were also studied in a phase II randomized trial for severe COVID-19 pneumonia, reflecting ongoing interest in their immunomodulatory and tissue-reparative properties in acute respiratory inflammation.

Several publications focused on MSC-based approaches for neurological repair and neuroprotection. In progressive multiple sclerosis, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed whether a single intrathecal autologous MSC administration could produce evidence of neuroregeneration. In chronic stroke monkeys, human umbilical cord-derived MSC transplantation combined with intermittent theta-burst stimulation improved motor and electrophysiological outcomes and was associated with neurogenesis and stem cell chemotaxis, potentially mediated by enhanced CXCL12 secretion from MSCs. In spinal cord injury, platelet-rich plasma-primed bone marrow MSC-derived exosomes outperformed unprimed exosomes and platelet-rich plasma alone, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and autophagy and promoting nerve regeneration through the miR-29a-3p/PTEN/PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis. MSC-derived exosomes were also investigated in a murine aspiration model to determine whether they could reduce lung inflammation.

Other studies examined MSCs in cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, and musculoskeletal settings, often emphasizing paracrine signaling or microenvironmental conditioning. In myocardial infarction, MSCs encapsulated in bioprinted microgels functionalized with cardiac decellularized extracellular matrix improved cell viability and secretory activity, and in rats this approach increased ejection fraction, reduced fibrosis, and thickened the ventricular wall. In diabetic kidney disease, MSCs and MSC-conditioned media both reduced glomerular injury, preserved podocyte integrity, lowered NOX4 expression and inflammation, and inhibited mTORC1/mTORC2 signaling, with the secretome reproducing the renoprotective effects of the cells. Hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow MSCs were explored for acute liver failure, and autologous bone marrow-derived MSC transplantation was assessed in real-world evidence for decompensated liver cirrhosis. In a patient with juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis and dialysis-dependent renal failure, systemic MSC therapy was associated with reduced inflammatory markers and improved pain and well-being.

A substantial portion of the recent literature also addressed how biomaterials, preconditioning, and niche engineering can enhance MSC function. Granular hydrogel microgels were used to model bone marrow paracrine signaling and support hematopoietic stem cell retention through MSC-HSC interactions. ECM-inspired supramolecular cryogels promoted mineralization and osteogenic differentiation of bone-marrow-derived MSCs in trabecular bone microtissue engineering, while a ROS-responsive composite hydrogel was designed to restore mitochondrial homeostasis in BMSCs and accelerate diabetic bone regeneration. melatonin was studied for its ability to improve osteogenic differentiation in high-glucose conditions by activating NRF2 and promoting autophagy through macrophage–BMSC cross-talk. Additional work examined TLR9 agonists for promoting maturation of differentiated bone marrow MSCs into insulin-producing cells, and bone marrow aspirate concentrate, which is rich in MSCs, was tested for improving early osseous integration of fresh osteochondral allografts.

Background PMIDs

• [PMID 41732673]
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• [PMID 41881078]
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• [PMID 42066239]
• [PMID 42095956]
• [PMID 42216026]
• [PMID 42268883]
• [PMID 42329368]
• [PMID 42364025]
• [PMID 42390018]

Method PMIDs

• [PMID 41544216]
• [PMID 41794362]
• [PMID 41982156]
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• [PMID 42069319]
• [PMID 42090513]
• [PMID 42126726]
• [PMID 42165785]
• [PMID 42178419]
• [PMID 42276100]
• [PMID 42308286]

Result PMIDs

• [PMID 42166073]

Target PMIDs

• [PMID 40916722]
• [PMID 41699868]
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• [PMID 41850850]
• [PMID 41992571]
• [PMID 42031725]
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• [PMID 42057606]
• [PMID 42068993]
• [PMID 42081777]
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• [PMID 42134096]
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• [PMID 42165939]
• [PMID 42165955]
• [PMID 42170982]
• [PMID 42248284]
• [PMID 42250666]
• [PMID 42286909]
• [PMID 42362959]
• [PMID 42409407]