Human mesenchymal stem cells: insights from a surrogate in vivo assay system.

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 (MSC) are multipotent cells that have been isolated from the bone marrow of multiple species that can be induced to differentiate into at least bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue in vitro. Using a model of in utero cellular transplantation in which human MSC are transplanted into fetal lambs, we have shown that MSC can engraft in multiple tissues and persist for over one year. Furthermore, these cells can differentiate into cardiac and skeletal myocytes, bone marrow stromal cells, adipocytes, thymic epithelial cells, and chondrocytes. These observations lend support to the potential utility of MSC for cellular and/or gene therapy in the treatment of a variety of congenital or acquired diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta, muscular dystrophy, lysosomal storage diseases, and for enhancement of bone marrow transplantation.

Evidence level

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

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