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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Stem Cell Research
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1517369
This article is part of the Research Topic Stem Cell Therapy for Hereditary Neuromuscular Diseases View all articles

Recent Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Applications and Challenges

Provisionally accepted
Kamran Sheikhi Kamran Sheikhi 1Salah Ghaderi Salah Ghaderi 2Hasan Firouzi Hasan Firouzi 3Hamed Afkhami Hamed Afkhami 4,5,6*Aref Yarahmadi Aref Yarahmadi 7*
  • 1 Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Kurdistan, Iran
  • 2 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
  • 3 Department of Medical Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
  • 4 Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, Qom, Iran
  • 5 Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Semnan, Iran
  • 6 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Alborz, Iran
  • 7 Department of Biology, Khorramabad Branch, Islamic Azad University,, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), is characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration, leading to diverse clinical manifestations such as fatigue, sensory impairment, and cognitive dysfunction. Current pharmacological treatments primarily target immune modulation but fail to arrest disease progression or entirely reverse CNS damage. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy offers a promising alternative, leveraging its immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and regenerative capabilities. This review provides an in-depth analysis of MSC mechanisms of action, including immune system regulation, promotion of remyelination, and neuroregeneration. It examines preclinical studies and clinical trials evaluating the efficacy, safety, and limitations of MSC therapy in various MS phenotypes. Special attention is given to challenges such as delivery routes, dosing regimens, and integrating MSCs with conventional therapies. By highlighting advancements and ongoing challenges, this review underscores the potential of MSCs to revolutionize MS treatment, paving the way for personalized and combinatory therapeutic approaches.

    Keywords: multiple sclerosis (MS), Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC), Immunomodulation, Autoimmune disease (AD), cell therapy

    Received: 25 Oct 2024; Accepted: 09 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Sheikhi, Ghaderi, Firouzi, Afkhami and Yarahmadi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Hamed Afkhami, Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, Qom, Iran
    Aref Yarahmadi, Department of Biology, Khorramabad Branch, Islamic Azad University,, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.