Editorial
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Jan 26, 2011; 3(1): 1-8
Published online Jan 26, 2011. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v3.i1.1
Immune regulatory properties of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells: Where do we stand?
Ênio José Bassi, Carlos Alberto Mayora Aita, Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
Ênio José Bassi, Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara, Laboratory of Transplantation Immunobiology, Department of Immunology, Universidade of São Paulo, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil
Carlos Alberto Mayora Aita, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, 80215-901 Curitiba, Brazil
Author contributions: Bassi ÊJ and Aita CAM wrote the manuscript; Saraiva Câmara NO wrote and reviewed the manuscript.
Supported by Grants 08/55447-1, 09/51649-1 and 07/07139-3 from the State of Sao Paulo Foundation for Research Support (FAPESP), Brazilian Council of Scientific and Technologic Development (470533/2007-2, CNPq) and Complex Fluids INCT
Correspondence to: Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara, MD, Professor, Laboratory of Transplantation Immunobiology, Department of Immunology, Universidade of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil. niels@icb.usp.br
Telephone: +55-11-30917388 Fax: +55-11-30917224
Received: July 21, 2010
Revised: December 18, 2010
Accepted: December 25, 2010
Published online: January 26, 2011
Abstract

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) can be isolated and efficiently expanded from almost every single body tissue and have the ability of self-renewal and differentiation into various mesodermal cell lineages. Moreover, these cells are considered immunologically privileged, related to a lack of surface expression of costimulatory molecules required for complete T cell activation. Recently, it has been observed that MSC are capable of suppressing the immune response by inhibiting the maturation of dendritic cells and suppressing the function of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and natural killer cells in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as a new strategy for immunosuppression. The understanding of immune regulation mechanisms by MSC is necessary for their use as immunotherapy in clinical applications for several diseases.

Keywords: Immunosuppression, Mesenchymal stem cell, Immune system, Inflammation, Autoimmune disease