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REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1554917
Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Fungal Infections: Mechanisms, Applications, and Challenges
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University,, Shanghai, China
- 2 Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- 3 Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University,, Shanghai, China
As a particularly serious condition in immunocompromised patients, fungal infections (FIs) have increasingly become a public health problem worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), characterized by multilineage differentiation potential and immunomodulatory properties, are considered an emerging strategy for the treatment of FIs. In this study, the therapeutic potential of MSCs for FIs was reviewed, including their roles played by secreting antimicrobial peptides, regulating immune responses, and promoting tissue repair. Meanwhile, the status of research on MSCs in FIs and the controversies were also discussed. However, the application of MSCs still faces numerous challenges, such as the heterogeneity of cell sources, long-term safety, and feasibility of large-scale production. By analyzing the latest study results, this review intends to offer theoretical support for the application of MSCs in FI treatment and further research.
Keywords: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Fungal infections, Therapeutic potential, mechanisms, applications
Received: 03 Jan 2025; Accepted: 16 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Ji, Zhao and Gu. 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:
Jingyu Zhao, Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University,, Shanghai, China
Julin Gu, Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University,, Shanghai, China
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