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Review
. 2024 Feb 8;15(1):37.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-023-03561-8.

Adipose-derived stem cells in immune-related skin disease: a review of current research and underlying mechanisms

Tianyi Sun #  1 , Cheng Zhou #  1 , Feng Lu  1 , Ziqing Dong  1 , Jianhua Gao  2 , Bin Li  3
Affiliations
Review

Adipose-derived stem cells in immune-related skin disease: a review of current research and underlying mechanisms

Tianyi Sun et al. Stem Cell Res Ther. .

Abstract

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a critical adult stem cell subpopulation and are widely utilized in the fields of regenerative medicine and stem cell research due to their abundance, ease of harvest, and low immunogenicity. ASCs, which are homologous with skin by nature, can treat immune-related skin diseases by promoting skin regeneration and conferring immunosuppressive effects, with the latter being the most important therapeutic mechanism. ASCs regulate the immune response by direct cell-cell communication with immune cells, such as T cells, macrophages, and B cells. In addition to cell-cell interactions, ASCs modulate the immune response indirectly by secreting cytokines, interleukins, growth factors, and extracellular vesicles. The immunomodulatory effects of ASCs have been exploited to treat many immune-related skin diseases with good therapeutic outcomes. This article reviews the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effects of ASCs, as well as progress in research on immune-related skin diseases.

Keywords: Adipose-derived stem cells; Autoimmune; Immune cells; Immune-related skin disease; Paracrine mechanisms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Figures were created with BioRender software by our team.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Direct and indirect (paracrine mechanisms) interactions of ASCs during immunomodulation. This schematic highlights the direct cell–cell interactions of ASCs, such as their effects on T lymphocytes, macrophages, B lymphocytes, DCs and NK cells, and the factors secreted by these cells. Additionally, the paracrine effects of cytokines, growth factors, anti-inflammatory mediators, active enzymes, and EVs play an important role in regulating the immune environment and immune cell function. Created with BioRender.com
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Application progress of ASCs on immune-related skin diseases. The image shows the process of harvest, isolation, and in vitro culture of ASCs from a donor, and the application of amplified ASCs and collected ASCs derivatives in the treatment of patients with immune-associated skin diseases. Created with BioRender.com
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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