Safety Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Research Articles

Human mesenchymal stem cells for hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a condition with high mortality. New strategies are urgently required. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) treatment in patients with ACLF associated with hepatitis B virus infection. The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for the relevant publications. If appropriate, a meta-analysis was carried out for the following outcomes: survival rate, model for end-stage liver disease score, and liver function. Three studies were eligible for the present systematic review. A total of 198 hepatitis B virus-ACLF patients were enrolled for this review. Ninety-one patients were treated with MSC and 107 patients were treated with standard medical therapy (SMT) as controls. Pooled results showed that MSC treatment could significantly reduce the mortality rate at week 12 [risk ratio: 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33, 0.76; P=0.00009] and the mortality rate at the final follow-up (risk ratio: 0.54; 95%CI: 0.37, 0.78; P=0.001) compared with the SMT group. Furthermore, pooled estimates showed that MSC treatment could significantly reduce the total bilirubin level at week 4 (mean difference: 58.89; 95%CI: 14.47, 103.32; P=0.009) compared with the SMT group. No severe complication associated with MSC treatment was observed. Our pooled results suggested that MSC treatment could significantly reduce the mortality rate, without increasing the incidence of severe complications.

The pathogenesis of acute lung injury and the treatment effect of mesenchymal stem cells

Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome are characterized by acute, progressive dyspnea, refractory hypoxemia and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates.Stem cell is a type of cell with strong differentiation function, which can differentiate into various types of cells, such as endothelial cells, epithelial cells, adipocytes and chondrocytes.The therapeutic potential and safety of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) in regenerative therapy and immune regulation have become the research hotspot.A large number of studies have shown that MSC can be used to treat lung injury in many ways, but the specific mechanism is not clear.Therefore, the mechanism of acute lung injury and the therapeutic effects of marrow MSC in acute lung injury will be reviewed in this paper. Key words: Acute lung injury; Mesenchymal stem cell

Clinical efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for osteoarthritis treatment: A meta-analysis.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).MaterialsWe performed a meta-analysis of relevant published clinical studies. An electronic search was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of MSC-based therapy in knee OA. The visual analogue scale (VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lequesne algofunctional indices (Lequesne), Lysholm knee scale (Lysholm), Tegner activity scale (Tegner) and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated.ResultsEleven eligible trials with 582 knee OA patients were included in the present meta-analysis. We demonstrated that MSC treatment could significantly decrease VAS and increase IKDC scoresafter a 24-month follow-up compared with controls (P<0.05). MSC therapy also showed significant decreases in WOMAC and Lequesne scores after the 12-month follow-up (P<0.01). Analysis of Lysholm (24-month) and Tegner (12- and 24-month) scores also demonstrated favorable results for MSC treatment (P<0.05).ConclusionOverall, MSC transplantation treatment was shown to be safe and has great potential as an efficacious clinical therapy for patients with knee OA.

Efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in treating patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: A meta-analysis.

To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee (KOA), a systematic electronic literature search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Studies published in English from the earliest record to December 2014 were searched using the following keywords: Cartilage defect, cartilage repair, osteoarthritis, KOA, stem cells, MSCs, bone marrow concentrate (BMC), adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cells and peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The effect sizes of selected studies were determined by extracting pain scores from the visual analog scale and functional changes from International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index before and after MSCs or reference treatments at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The factors were analyzed and the outcomes were modified after comparing the MSC group pooled values with the pretreatment baseline or between different treatment arms. A systematic search identified 18 clinical trials on this topic, including 10 single-arm prospective studies, four quasi-experimental studies and four randomized controlled trials that used BMCs to treat 565 patients with KOA in total. MSC treatment in patients with KOA showed continual efficacy for 24 months compared with their pretreatment condition. Effectiveness of MSCs was improved at 12 and 24 months post-treatment, compared with at 3 and 6 months. No dose-responsive association in the MSCs numbers was demonstrated. However, patients with arthroscopic debridement, activation agent or lower degrees of Kellgren-Lawrence grade achieved improved outcomes. MSC application ameliorated the overall outcomes of patients with KOA, including pain relief and functional improvement from basal evaluations, particularly at 12 and 24 months after follow-up.

Abstract 602: Development of Cell Therapy in Severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients are characterized by high LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and premature cardiovascular disease. Although most of heterozygous FH patients are able to be treated with statin, ezetimibe and bile acid sequestrants and anti-PCSK9 antibodies, homozygous FH patients are resistant to drug therapy. Therefore, many of homozygous FH patients used to be treated by LDL-apheresis. However, the effect of removing LDL cholesterol is still not sufficient and definitive therapies need to be developed. With the increase of the evidence about the safety of mesenchymal stem cells and percutaneous transhepatic portal approach in islet transplantation, we have developed a cell transplantation therapy with allogeneic adipose tissue-derived multilineage progenitor cells, as an alternative treatment instead of liver transplantation. We have generated a protocol for the phase 1 clinical study. The primary endpoint should be safety evaluation including allergic reaction, rejection reaction, thrombosis and complications in the blood vessel by cell-transplantation. The secondary endpoint should be the efficacy including changes in serum lipid such as LDL-C, TC, HDL-C, TG and Lp(a), and Secession possibility of LDL-apheresis. We transplanted the first case in February, 2016. Then we are collecting clinical data. We would demonstrate the current status and the issues to be solved for the following study.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Metabolic Syndrome: Current Understanding and Potential Clinical Implications.

Metabolic syndrome is an obesity-based, complicated clinical condition that has become a global epidemic problem with a high associated risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes or glucose dysmetabolism are the major factors constituting metabolic syndrome, and these factors are interrelated and share underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Severe obesity predisposes individuals to metabolic syndrome, and recent data suggest that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contribute significantly to adipocyte generation by increasing the number of adipocytes. Accordingly, an increasing number of studies have examined the potential roles of MSCs in managing obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, despite the growing bank of experimental and clinical data, the efficacy and the safety of MSCs in the clinical setting are still to be optimized. It is thus hoped that ongoing and future studies can elucidate the roles of MSCs in metabolic syndrome and lead to MSC-based therapeutic options for affected patients. This review discusses current understanding of the relationship between MSCs and metabolic syndrome and its potential implications for patient management.

Abstract 50: A Phase I Clinical Trial Evaluating the Safety of With Allogeneic Adipose Tissue-derived Multilineage Progenitor Cells-transplantation Therapy in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Patients

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder, mainly caused by defects in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. The patients are characterized by high LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and premature cardiovascular disease. Although most of heterozygous FH patients are usually treated with statin, ezetimibe and bile acid sequestrants, homozygous FH patients are resistant to drug therapy. Therefore, in Japan, many of homozygous FH patients are treated by LDL-apheresis. LDL-apheresis is a great procedure to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood and contribute to improve prognosis of homozygous FH patients. However, the effect of removing LDL cholesterol is temporary and still not enough. As a definitive therapy, liver transplantation therapy could be one of options to recover LDL receptor, but donor is limited in Japan. Therefore, based on the increase of the evidence about the safety of mesenchymal stem cells and percutaneous transhepatic portal approach in islet transplantation, we have developed a cell transplantation therapy with allogeneic adipose tissue-derived multilineage progenitor cells (ADMPCs), as an alternative treatment instead of liver transplantation. Our group has already proved that xenogenic transplantation of human ADMPCs into Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol, and the reductions were observed within 4 weeks and maintained for 12 weeks. These results suggested that hADMPC transplantation could correct the metabolic defects and be a novel therapy for inherited liver diseases. Here, we report a protocol for the first-in-human clinical trial, which has been approved by the institutional review board and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

Improvement in Poor Graft Function after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation upon Administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Third-Party Donors: A Pilot Prospective Study

Poor graft function (PGF) is a refractory complication that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). In the present study, we prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expanded from the bone marrow of a third-party donor to patients with PGF after allo-HSCT. Twenty patients with PGF (7 with primary and 13 with secondary PGF) received MSCs (1 × 10(6)/kg) one to three times at 28-day intervals. Seventeen patients were responsive to MSCs, whereas three were not. Within the first 100 days after MSC treatment, 13 patients developed 20 episodes of infection. Moreover, five patients experienced cytomegalovirus-DNA viremia, and seven experienced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-DNA viremia within the first 100 days after MSC treatment; three of the latter developed EBV-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) within the follow-up period. Grade II acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in one patient, and local chronic GVHD occurred in two patients after receiving MSC treatment, including one acute GVHD and one chronic GVHD, respectively, after accepting donor lymphocyte infusions due to PTLD. After a follow-up period of an average of 508 days (range 166-904 days) posttransplantation, 11 patients died. No short-term toxic side effects were observed after MSC treatment. Two patients experienced leukemic relapse. With the exception of three patients with PTLD, no secondary tumors occurred. These results indicate that MSCs derived from the bone marrow of a third-party donor are beneficial in the treatment of both primary and secondary PGF that develops after allo-HSCT. However, additional studies will be needed to determine whether such treatment might increase the risk of EBV infection and reactivation or the development of EBV-associated PTLD.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Vs. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Combined With Cord Blood For Treating Engraftment Failure Following Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Pilot Prospective Study

BackgroundEngraftment failure (EF) is a formidable complication after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cord blood (CB) have been found to support hematopoiesis. Thus, we designed a multicenter randomized clinical trial to investigate the effects and safety of MSCs alone or combined with CB infusion for patients with EF. MethodsTwenty-two patients were randomly assigned to receive the treatment with MSCs alone (MSCs group, n=11) or MSCs combined with CB (CB group, n=11). MSCs were administered once every 2 weeks (2 doses were a cycle) in both groups, and single-unit CB was administered at the same day with the first application of MSCs in CB group; After one cycle of treatments (within 28 days), the patients who did not response to MSCs would receive the therapeutic schedule in CB group, and those patients with partial response (PR) in MSCs group and those without complete response (CR) in CB group would continue another cycle of MSCs treatment. If patients did not obtain CR after two cycles of treatments (within 56 days), they would receive other treatments including allogeneic HSCT. ResultsAfter the first treatment cycle, the effect rates were not significant difference in MSCs and CB groups (7/11 vs. 9/11, P=0.635), and the median time of hematopoietic reconstruction was 22 (18-28) and 17 (13-22) days, respectively (P=0.036) in MSCs and CB group. There was statistically significant difference regarding neutrophil engraftment, with 17 (range 9-28) and 8 (range 6-14) days respectively (P=0.030), but no difference regarding platelet engraftment, with 21 (range 18-28) and 18 (range 11-21) days respectively (P=0.092) between MSCs and CB groups. After two cycles of treatments, 17 patients obtained CR, 2 PR and 3 NR. CB chimerisms were not detected by short tandem repeat (STR) at +15 and +30 days after CB infusion. None of the patients experienced any adverse events of grade 3/4 with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 (CTCAE v3.0) and acute GVHD or chronic GVHD during the period of study treatment and follow-up. One patient with PR in MSCs group and 1 NR in CB group received allogeneic HSCT at +249 and +273 days after auto-HSCT because of EF and primary disease relapse, respectively. At a median follow-up time of 345 (range 129–784) days post-transplantation, 16 patients remained alive, 3 died of relapse of primary diseases and 1 died of CMV pneumonia following allo-HSCT. None of patients developed EBV-DNA viremia and EBV-associated diseases in two groups. The 2-year overall survival, disease-free survival and tumor relapse post-transplantation were 75.2% (95% CI, 63.2-87.2%), 79.5% (95% CI, 70.1-88.9%) and 20.5% (95% CI, 11.1-29.9%) respectively. ConclusionsOur data suggest that ex-vivo-expanded MSCs derived from HLA-mismatched BM alone or combined with unrelated CB are effective to EF after auto-HSCT. CB can facilitate the effect of MSCs to EF. Both two strategies do not result in GVHD or increase the risk of primary diseases relapse in patients with EF.This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.govas#NCT01763099. Disclosures:Liu:It was supported by 863 Program (No. 2011AA020105) and National Public Health Grand Research Foundation (Grant No. 201202017).: Research Funding; It was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81000231, No.81270647) and Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou of China (11A72121174). : Research Funding.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell As a Salvage Treatment For Refractory Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease: a Matched Pair Analysis

BackgroundRefractory acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) is a major cause of death after allogenetic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow of a third-party donor to refractory aGVHD. MethodsTwenty-five patients with refractory aGVHD were enrolled in this prospective study. MSCs were given at a median dose of 1×106 cells/kg once weekly until aGVHD got complete response (CR) or MSCs were infused for a total of 8 doses. In order to evaluate infections, tumor relapse and cGVHD, 25 refractory aGVHD patients with MSCs treatment was matched with grade II-IV aGVHD patient without MSCs in the corresponding period ResultsAfter a total of 112 doses of MSCs were administered, with a median of 4 (range:2-12) doses per patient, the overall response (OR) rate for aGVHD was 72%,including CR in 56% and partial response (PR) in 16%. The efficacy of MSCs to aGVHD was significantly related with the severity and the number of involved organs of aGVHD, but unrelated with the onset timing of MSC. The incidence of CMV and EBV infections, including viremia and associated disease, was not different between MSCs and non-MSCs groups during aGVHD treatment and follow-up. At a median follow-up time of 126 (range: 49–1067) days post-transplantation, only two patients relapsed in MSCs group, compared with four relapsed in the control group. Tumor relapse was not different between the two groups (P=0.771). No toxic side effects and other secondary tumors were observed after MSCs treatment except for one EBV-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). The incidence of cGVHD in MSCs group, especially extensive cGVHD, was lower than that in non-MSCs group (25.0% Vs 68%, P=0.001; 20.0% Vs 64%, P=0.043, respectively). The ratio of CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ T cells and the proportion of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) at 8 weeks after MSCs were higher than that before treatment (P=0.037 and P=0.020, respectively), and there were not different from the healthy people at 36 weeks after treatment. ConclusionsMSCs derived from bone marrow of third-party donors are effective to refractory aGVHD. It might not increase the risks of infections, tumor relapse, but reduce the incidence and severity of cGVHD. Disclosures:Liu:Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou of China (11A72121174): Research Funding; National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81000231, No.81270647): Research Funding; National Public Health Grand Research Foundation (Grant No. 201202017): Research Funding; 863 Program (No. 2011AA020105): Research Funding.

Safety of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Clinical Application

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise as therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine and autoimmune diseases, based on their differentiation abilities and immunosuppressive properties. However, the therapeutic applications raise a series of questions about the safety of culture-expanded MSCs for human use. This paper summarized recent findings about safety issues of MSCs, in particular their genetic stability in long-term in vitro expansion, their cryopreservation, banking, and the role of serum in the preparation of MSCs.

Would cancer stem cells affect the future investment in stem cell therapy

The common goal within the overwhelming interests in stem cell research is to safely translate the science to patients. Although there are various methods by which this goal can be reached, this editorial emphasizes the safety of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplant and possible confounds by the growing information on cancer stem cells (CSCs). There are several ongoing clinical trials with MSCs and their interactions with CSCs need to be examined. The rapid knowledge on MSCs and CSCs has now collided with regards to the safe treatment of MSCs. The information discussed on MSCs can be extrapolated to other stem cells with similar phenotype and functions such as placenta stem cells. MSCs are attractive for cell therapy, mainly due to reduced ethical concerns, ease in expansion and reduced ability to be transformed. Also, MSCs can exert both immune suppressor and tissue regeneration simultaneously. It is expected that any clinical trial with MSCs will take precaution to ensure that the cells are not transformed. However, going forward, the different centers should be aware that MSCs might undergo oncogenic events, especially as undifferentiated cells or early differentiated cells. Another major concern for MSC therapy is their ability to promote tumor growth and perhaps, to protect CSCs by altered immune responses. These issues are discussed in light of a large number of undiagnosed cancers.

Basic Biology and Clinical Application of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: From Bench to Bedside

Basic Biology and Clinical Application of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: From Bench to Bedside

Les cellules souches mésenchymateuses

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have attracted recent attention for their cell therapy potential, based in particular on their immunosuppressive properties, which have served as the basis for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Interestingly, MSC have been used in cell therapy strategies to deliver therapeutical genes. Cell therapy approaches taking advantages of MSC have been proposed, as MSC display a potential tropsim for tumors. However, all these strategies raise a series of questions about the safety of MSC, as MSC could enhance tumor growth and metastasis. This review summarizes recent findngs about MSC in carcinogenesis.

Study on murine Heps hepatoma tissue after mesenchymal stem cells inoculation

Objective To observe the local immue response and changes of angiogenic factors of tumor cells in Heps-bearing mice after mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) are administrated. And to explore the feasibility and safety of MSC for liver tumors therapy. Methods MSC were obtained through adherent culture method. Phe-notypes of MSC were analyzed by flow cytometry. MSC were labeled with DAPI in vitro. 54 Mice of 8 weeks of age with subcutaneously transplanted liver carcinomas were developed randomly. When the maximal diameters of the tumor reached 0.5 - 0.8cm, they were divided into three groups randomly: MSC group, DAPI group and NS control group. 2 × 10~6 MSC and MSC marked by DAPI were administrated into the mice right rear back tumor tissue. The survival time of the tumor-bearing mice was recorded and the mean survival time was calculated. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to count CD4~+ T cells and CD8~+ T cells in the local tumor,as well as to examine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) in tumor cells. Results In the MSC group,the mean survival time was 45 d (95%CI;33 ～56 d) ,in the NS control group, the mean survival time was 33 d ( 95%CI : 28 ～ 37 d). There was a statistical significance in the difference between them ( P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining results showed as follow: the number of CD4~+ T cells and CD8~+ T cells in the MSC group decreased significantly in comparison with the NS control group at early stage. The expression of VEGF also decreased obviously in comparison with the NS control group and induced tumor cells necrosis at late stage. The survival time of MSC group was prolonged. Conclusion MSC can engraft in Heps-bearing tumor tissue, and inhibit T lymphocyte cellular immunity at early stage. It can reduce the number of CD4~+ T cells and CD8~+ T cells and promote tumor growth. MSC can down regulate VEGF expression and induce tumor cells necrosis at late stage. By this way,it can prolong the survival time of Heps-bearing mice. Key words: Mesenchymal stem cells; Cytokines; Vascular endothelial growth factors; Heps hepatoma

Immunomodulatory Effect of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Possible Mechanisms

Co-transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells ameliorate hematopoietic reconstitution and induce tolerance. The immunomodulatory properties of MSCs have been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. MSCs can modulate function of immune cells such as T lymphocytes, antigen-presenting cells and natural killer cells. However, it is unknown whether MSCs given to patients that have undergone HSC transplantation could alleviate graft versus leukemia effect or could increase the risk of the infection. Proper characterization of MSC immunomodulatory mechanisms are crucial to anticipate the possible effect of MSC in the host. In the current report, interesting and contradictory results in the literature are reviewed in an attempt to understand the underlying mechanism. Differences in experimental designs and models used seem to be the underlying causes of discrepancy in reported results. Results of the few in vivo studies are controversial and further clinical studies are needed to confirm the efficiency and safety of MSCs in transplantation management.