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Review
. 2012 Jan-Feb;32(1):68-77.
doi: 10.5144/0256-4947.2012.68.

Human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells: basic biology and current clinical use for tissue regeneration

Abdullah Aldahmash  1 , Walid Zaher, May Al-Nbaheen, Moustapha Kassem
Affiliations
Review

Human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells: basic biology and current clinical use for tissue regeneration

Abdullah Aldahmash et al. Ann Saudi Med. 2012 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells (hMSC) represent a group of non-hematopoietic stem cells present in the bone marrow stroma and the stroma of other organs including subcutaneous adipose tissue, placenta, and muscles. They exhibit the characteristics of somatic stem cells of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation into mesoderm-type of cells, e.g., to osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes and possibly other cell types including hepatocytes and astrocytes. Due to their ease of culture and multipotentiality, hMSC are increasingly employed as a source for cells suitable for a number of clinical applications, e.g., non-healing bone fractures and defects and also non-skeletal degenerative diseases like heart failure. Currently, the numbers of clinical trials that employ MSC are increasing. However, several biological and biotechnological challenges need to be overcome to benefit from the full potential of hMSC. In this current review, we present some of the most important and recent advances in understanding of the biology of hMSC and their current and potential use in therapy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Standard isolation procedure for bone marrow derived human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells (MSC). The cells are established in cultures based on their characteristic plastic surface adherence ability.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multipotentiality of human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells (MSC). Under proper conditions, MSCs can form (a) bone when implanted subcutaneously in immune deficient mouse coupled with hydroxyapatite/tricalicum phosphate (HA/TCP) as carrier, (b) cartilage when cells cultured in vitro as cell aggregates in presence of transforming growth factor B or (c) fat when treated in vitro with insulin, dexamethasone and rosiglitazone.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Examples of ongoing or completed clinical trials using stromal stem cell. Data were collected from National Institute of Health (NIH), USA, clinical trials registery on (March 2011). Categorization was based on information provided in the trial summary.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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