Regulatory Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on T Cell Phenotypes in Autoimmune Diseases

The umbilical cord, placenta, bone marrow, adipose tissue, gums, endometrium, menstrual blood, synovium, periosteum, skeletal muscle, ligamentum cruciatum, and other tissue all contain mesenchymal stem cells. These mesenchymal stem cells allow for the potential of self-renewal andmultidirectional differentiation. Depending on where the MSCs are found, they can have differential abilities. The proliferation and differential potential of MSCs can be enhanced via modification techniques. They can be divided into genetic modification and preconditioning modification, such as drugs, growth factors, and other molecules, improving biological activities that have to do with migration, homing to target site, adhesion, and the survival and reducing the premature senescence. When MSCs make contact, adhere, and differentiate into injured cells they can repair the tissue. Moreover, MSCs secrete extracellular vesicles and mitochondrial transfer to apply its anti-inflammatory, repairing, and immunomodulatory effects. People with autoimmune diseases also have difficulty with complicated pathogenesis. It is promising studying MSCs therapeutic effect on those with autoimmune diseases due to its low immunogenicity and multidirectional differentiation. Experimental studies on mouse models with induced acute and chronic colitis showed that MSCs can repair these diseases and inhibit the recurrence of the experimental inflammatory bowel disease. In this experiment, MSCs were able toregulate immune response, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, regenerate intestinal epithelial cells, blood vessels, and alter gut microbiota. Through additional clinical trials, MSC therapy was well received with efficiency and safety profile with mainly mild effects. However, there were other more severe events such as tumor growth and metastasis. There have been additional studies that exhibit the effectiveness of MSCs towards other autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, MS, Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis (HT), autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, vitiligo, and more. In animal models of MS, MSCsshow promise towards preventing inflammation and neurodegeneration. In type 1 diabetes, MSCs can transdifferentiate into insulin-producing cells, provide support for the regeneration of residual B cells due to the production of growth and trophic factors, or can participate in the suppression of the autoimmune reaction against B cells. For HT, MSCs reduce the level of thyroid autoantibody partly by regulating Th17/Treg interactions.MSCs have the potential to improve injury or even a cure for immune-mediated conditions.As MSCs use their immunoregulatory effects with direct contact and secretion of active factors, they contribute in restoring T cell balance in autoimmune environment. The location of where the MSCs are pulled and the addition of the heterogeneity of autoimmune diseases might have something to do with differences in the mechanism of action of the MSCs. In order to further understand and enhance the effects of the therapeutics of MSCs, there will need to be additional explorations of key targets of MSCs during T cell regulation.

Work Cited

Wei, Z. et al. Regulatory Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on T Cell Phenotypes in Autoimmune Diseases. PMC; https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy.lib.odu.edu/pmc/articles/PMC8024100/ (2021).