Safety of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Therapy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 5 Year Follow-Up

Mesenchymal stromal cells (mesenchymal stem cells; MSC) are a heterogeneous group of cells, that can be isolated from many tissues (bone marrow, adipose tissue, dental pulpe). First described in 1960-years of XX century, MSC have recently received attention in a number of different clinical fields for their potential therapeutic effects.

Although often described as «adult stem cells», MSC’s have limited cellular differentiation ability. Instead, pre-clinical evidence suggests that MSCs exert their beneficial effects largely through immunomodulatory and paracrine mechanisms. MSCs home to sites of inflammation and secrete bioactive molecules, and thus may be especially effective in different pro-inflammatory diseases.

There is a growing body of literature demonstrating the efficacy of MSC therapy in a variety ofpre-clinical models, including acute lung injury, septic shock, acutemyocardial infarction. Several small clinical trials have investigated efficacy and safety of MSCs in diseases including chronic heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, hematological malignancies, Crohn disease and graft-versus-host disease.