About this Research Topic

Background

Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies are increasingly explored as novel regenerative and immunomodulatory approaches to treat or prevent disease. MSCs possess tropism towards damaged and inflamed tissues, where they exert therapeutic effects by both direct and indirect mechanisms. These cells exhibit potent paracrine properties that can modulate host immune responses, lower inflammation and orchestrate endogenous tissue repair, at both the local and the systemic level. Importantly, MSC products can be prepared from multiple sources (e.g. bone marrow, adipose and perinatal tissues), rapidly expanded and biobanked for clinical application. All these advantages make this cell type a powerful tool in regenerative medicine.

Over the past decades, numerous studies have assessed MSC therapies for treating diverse neurological pathologies, such as Multiple Sclerosis or Stroke, but also cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, cancer, or more recently complications associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis. Latest research efforts focus on developing strategies to further improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety of MSCs, helping to achieve better treatment outcomes. Studies on MSC-based therapies are at the leading edge of biomedical science, advancing both basic and clinical research in various fields such as Neuroscience and Immunology.

The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight the latest advances in the application of MSCs for the treatment of a variety of diseases. A better understanding of the mechanisms of action underlying the therapeutic effect of MSCs will provide insight into possible strategies to enhance their effectiveness in clinical application.
This multidisciplinary Research Topic should bring together specialists in Stem Cells, Cellular Neuroscience, Immunology and Bioengineering to share their knowledge on current therapeutic strategies and the mechanisms underlying the immune modulation and tissue regeneration that are orchestrated by MSCs.

We here welcome the submission of Original Research and Review articles that cover, but are not limited, to the following topics:
• Therapeutic application of MSCs for major diseases and clinical conditions
• Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects of MSCs
• Pleiotropic effects of MSCs during tissue regeneration
• Direct and indirect interactions between MSCs and other cell types
• Cellular and molecular changes induced in MSCs during the culture process that may compromise their therapeutic potential
• Processes for the enhancement of the therapeutic effects of MSCs
• MSC-derived products (e.g. paracrine mediators and extracellular vesicles) as mediators of immunomodulation and tissue repair
• MSCs and engineered MSCs as vehicles for drug delivery

Keywords: Mesenchymal stromal cells, cell therapy, mechanism of action, immunomodulation, regeneration

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