Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising therapeutic approach for neurological autoimmune diseases; previous studies have shown that treatment with bone marrow-derived MSCs induces immune modulation and reduces disease severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Here we show that intravenous administration of adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs) before disease onset significantly reduces the severity of EAE by immune modulation and decreases spinal cord inflammation and demyelination. ASCs preferentially home into lymphoid organs but also migrates inside the central nervous system (CNS). Most importantly, administration of ASCs in chronic established EAE significantly ameliorates the disease course and reduces both demyelination and axonal loss, and induces a Th2-type cytokine shift in T cells. Interestingly, a relevant subset of ASCs expresses activated alpha 4 integrins and adheres to inflamed brain venules in intravital microscopy experiments. Bioluminescence imaging shows that alpha 4 integrins control ASC accumulation in inflamed CNS. Importantly, we found that ASC cultures produce basic fibroblast growth factor, brain-derived growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor-AB. Moreover, ASC infiltration within demyelinated areas is accompanied by increased number of endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitors. In conc

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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