New Research Shows How Stem Cell Therapy Keeps the Immune System Under Control

Recent studies have shown the benefits of administering Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) to patients with immune-related disorders such as graft versus host disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.

The MSCs appeared to quell the production and function of overactive immune cells, including T- and B-lymphocytes. However, the specific mechanism behind how MSC get the immune cells under control hasn’t been fully understood.

In new research regarding the effects of MSC infusion in mice with systemic sclerosis (SS)-like immune disorders, Songtao Shi, professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology and colleagues have found that a specific cellular mechanism known as the FAS/FAS-ligand pathway is the key to the immune system benefits.

Specifically, in mice with SS-like disorders, infusions of MSC caused T-lymphocyte death with FASL/FAS signaling and lessened symptoms of the immune disorder. However, MSC deficient in FAS-ligand failed to treat immune disorders in SS-afflicted mice.

With the hopeful results of the animal model study in mind, Shi’s colleagues in China performed a pilot study with patients suffering from systemic sclerosis. Infusions of MSCs provided similar clinical benefits to patients, and experimental analysis revealed that the FASL/FAS pathway was also at work in humans with SS.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are highly versatile stem cells that originate from the mesoderm, or middle layer of tissue, in a developing embryo. MSC can be isolated from many different kinds of human tissue, including bone marrow and the umbilical cord.

Adapted from the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC announcement.