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Review
. 2007;9(1):201.
doi: 10.1186/ar2105.

Mesenchymal stromal cells. Nurse-like cells reside in the synovial tissue and bone marrow in rheumatoid arthritis

Takahiro Ochi  1 , Hideki Yoshikawa, Tomoko Toyosaki-Maeda, Peter E Lipsky
Affiliations
Review

Mesenchymal stromal cells. Nurse-like cells reside in the synovial tissue and bone marrow in rheumatoid arthritis

Takahiro Ochi et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2007.

Abstract

A major question concerning the immunopathology of rheumatoid arthritis is why the disease is localized to particular joints. A possible explanation could be the presence within the synovium of cells that foster inflammation or easy accessibility of the synovium to migratory disease enhancing cells. Within both the bone marrow and the synovium, fibroblastic stromal cells play an important role in supporting the differentiation and survival of normal cells, and also contribute to the pathologic processes. Among fibroblastic stromal cells in synovial tissue and bone marrow, nurse-like cells are a unique population having the specific capacity to promote pseudoemperipolesis (adhesion and holding beneath) of lymphocytes, and also the ability to promote the growth and function of some populations of lymphocytes and monocytes. Nurse-like cells could therefore contribute to the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, and may contribute to the localization of inflammation within specific joints. The present review considers the evidence that supports these possibilities.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Migration of fibroblastic stromal cells from epiphyseal bone marrow (BM) into the joint space (JS) forming synovial (Sy) tissue in collagen-induced arthritis. C, cartilage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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