Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Therapy for Metabolic Syndrome: Potential Clinical Application?

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/stromal cells (MSCs), a class of cells with proliferative, immunomodulatory, and reparative functions, have shown therapeutic potential in a variety of systemic diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). The cluster of morbidities that constitute MetS might be particularly amenable for the application of MSCs, which employ an arsenal of reparative actions to target multiple pathogenic pathways simultaneously. Preclinical studies have shown that MSCs can reverse pathological changes in MetS mainly by inhibiting inflammation, improving insulin resistance, regulating glycolipid metabolism, and protecting organ function. However, several challenges remain to overcome before MSCs can be applied for treating MetS. For example, the merits of autologous versus allogeneic MSCs sources remain unclear, particularly with autologous MSCs obtained from the noxious MetS milieu. The distinct characteristics and relative efficacy of MSCs harvested from different tissue sources also require clarification. Moreover, to improve the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, investigators have explored several approaches that improved therapeutic efficacy but may involve potential safety concerns. This review summarized the potentially useful MSCs strategy for treating MetS, as well as some hurdles that remain to be overcome. In particular, larger-scale studies are needed to determine the t

Evidence level

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

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.