Logo image
Mesenchymal stem cells: immune evasive, not immune privileged
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Mesenchymal stem cells: immune evasive, not immune privileged

James A Ankrum, Joon Faii Ong and Jeffrey M Karp
Nature biotechnology, Vol.32(3), pp.252-260
03/2014
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2816
PMCID: PMC4320647
PMID: 24561556
url
http://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.2816View
Open Access

Abstract

The diverse immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may be exploited for treatment of a multitude of inflammatory conditions. MSCs have long been reported to be hypoimmunogenic or 'immune privileged'; this property is thought to enable MSC transplantation across major histocompatibility barriers and the creation of off-the-shelf therapies consisting of MSCs grown in culture. However, recent studies describing generation of antibodies against and immune rejection of allogeneic donor MSCs suggest that MSCs may not actually be immune privileged. Nevertheless, whether rejection of donor MSCs influences the efficacy of allogeneic MSC therapies is not known, and no definitive clinical advantage of autologous MSCs over allogeneic MSCs has been demonstrated to date. Although MSCs may exert therapeutic function through a brief 'hit and run' mechanism, protecting MSCs from immune detection and prolonging their persistence in vivo may improve clinical outcomes and prevent patient sensitization toward donor antigens.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology Animals Humans Biomedical Research Clinical Trials as Topic Mice Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - physiology Transplantation, Homologous Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - immunology

Details

Logo image