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. 2010 Apr;37(2):75-83.
doi: 10.1159/000290897. Epub 2010 Mar 15.

Mesenchymal Stem or Stromal Cells: Toward a Better Understanding of Their Biology?

Ulrich Lindner  1 , Jan Kramer, Jürgen Rohwedel, Peter Schlenke
Affiliations

Mesenchymal Stem or Stromal Cells: Toward a Better Understanding of Their Biology?

Ulrich Lindner et al. Transfus Med Hemother. 2010 Apr.

Abstract
in English, German

The adult bone marrow has been generally considered to be composed of hematopoietic tissue and the associated supporting stroma. Within the latter compartment, a subset of cells with multipotent differentiation capacity exists, usually referred to as mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can easily be expanded ex vivo and induced to differentiate into several cell types, including osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes. Up to now, mesenchymal stem cells have gained wide popularity. Despite the rapid growth in this field, irritations remain with respect to the defining characteristics of these cells, including their differentiation potency, self-renewal and in vivo properties. As a consequence, there is a growing tendency to challenge the term mesenchymal stem cell, especially with respect to the stem cell characteristics. Here, we revisit the experimental origins of mesenchymal stem cells, their classical differentiation capacity into mesodermal lineages and their immunophenotype in order to assess their stemness and function. Based on these essentials, it has to be revisited if the designation as a stem cell remains an appropriate term.

Generell wird davon ausgegangen, dass sich das Knochenmark aus hämatopoetischen Gewebe und dem unterstützenden Stroma zusammensetzt. Bestandteil des Stroma ist eine Population von Zellen mit multipotenter Differenzierungskapazität, die üblicherweise als mesenchymale Stammzellen bezeichnet werden. Mesenchymale Stammzellen können leicht ex vivo expandiert und zur Differenzierung in verschiedene (mesodermale) Zelltypen wie z.B. Osteoblasten, Adipozyten und Chondrozyten induziert werden. Trotz des wachsenden Interesses an den mesenchymalen Stammzellen fehlen bislang Erkenntnisse über die grundlegenden Charakteristika dieser Zellen – z.B. ihr Differenzierungspotential, die Mechanismen der Selbsterneuerung sowie ihre In-vivo-Eigenschaften und Herkunft. Aufgrund dieser Einwände wird die Bezeichnung als mesenchymale Stammzelle zunehmend in Frage gestellt. In diesem Artikel werden die Geschichte, das klassische mesodermale Differenzierungspotential und der Immunphänotyp der mesenchymalen Stammzelle beleuchtet. Anhand dieser wesentlichen Grundlagen soll diskutiert werden, ob der Begriff mesenchymale Stammzelle angemessen ist.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
MSC biology still demands some answers. MSC population isolated by simple plastic adherence are heterogeneous. The classical stem cell compartment is the bone marrow. For the bone marrow as well as the periphery of the body a perivascular location of undifferentiated MSCs was suggested and pericytes may be a cellular in vivo equivalent of in vitro characterized MSCs. It has also been demonstrated that fibroblasts share many characteristics with MSCs evoking the question if these cells may be another in vivo counterpart of MSCs. In addition, clear evidence for the transdifferentiation capacity of MSCs is missing. The recent view in stem cell biology is that not plasticity of MSCs but paracrine action after their application is mostly responsible for in vivo effects overlapping lineage restriction.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A The Giemsa staining demonstrates a typical fibroblastoid shape of undifferentiated MSCs. After application of specific induction media the MSCs are capable to differentiate into B osteoblasts (von Kossa stain and counterstaining with van Gieson), C adipocytes (Oil Red O stain) and D chondrocytes (toluidine blue stain) using 3D cultivation via micromass bodies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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