AUTHOR=Gomez-Salazar Mario , Gonzalez-Galofre Zaniah N. , Casamitjana Joan , Crisan Mihaela , James Aaron W. , Péault Bruno 

TITLE=Five Decades Later, Are Mesenchymal Stem Cells Still Relevant?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00148

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2020.00148

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>Mesenchymal stem cells are culture-derived mesodermal progenitors isolatable from all vascularized tissues. In spite of multiple fundamental, pre-clinical and clinical studies, the native identity and role in tissue repair of MSCs have long remained elusive, with MSC selection <italic>in vitro</italic> from total cell suspensions essentially unchanged as a mere primary culture for half a century. Recent investigations have helped understand the tissue origin of these progenitor cells, and uncover alternative effects of MSCs on tissue healing <italic>via</italic> growth factor secretion and interaction with the immune system. In this review, we describe current trends in MSC biology and discuss how these may improve the use of these therapeutic cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.</p>