Title:Mesenchymal Stem Cells: New Alternatives for Nervous System Disorders
Volume: 18
Issue: 3
Author(s): Miguel Antonio Jiménez-Acosta, Lory Jhenifer Rochin Hernández, Mayte Lizeth Padilla Cristerna and Marco Alejandro Meraz-Ríos*
Affiliation:
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, 07360 México City, México
Keywords:
Mesenchymal stem cells, nervous system disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, transplantation, cell-based therapy, neuronal differentiation, functional recovery.
Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing cells found in almost all postnatal organs
and tissues in the perivascular region. These cells have a high capacity for mesodermal differentiation;
however, numerous studies have shown that MSCs can also differentiate into cells of endodermal and
ectodermal lineages. Due to this multilineage differentiation capacity, these cells could function as restoratives
of various cell populations after transplantation. However, not only their differentiation potential
makes them ideal candidates for this, but also a series of trophic properties that promote regeneration in
the surrounding tissue, such as their migratory capacity, secretory and immunomodulatory actions. This
review analyzes several MSC transplantation trials to treat neurological diseases, such as demyelinating
injury, spinal cord injury, paraplegia, Parkinson's disease, cochlear injury, and Alzheimer's disease. These
cells could facilitate functional recovery in multiple models of neurodegenerative diseases and nervous
system injuries by using their trophic capacities, reducing inflammation in the injured area, reducing
apoptosis, and enhancing endogenous neurogenesis through the secretion of bioactive factors. Furthermore,
since cells derived from patients have demonstrated disease-associated differences in various brain
diseases, these cells represent an excellent candidate for the study of these diseases, functioning as "a
window to the brain."
