Contribution of Viable, Non-viable, and Cell Fragments to the Immunomodulatory Functions of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) hold promise as cell-therapy candidates for numerous diseases such as Graft v. Host disease due to their ability to influence the immune system. MSCs have been shown to be capable of a broad range of immunomodulatory effects, including the production of factors that allow them to serve as Medicinal Signaling Cells in the body at the sites of inflammation, influencing nearby cells through direct contact, transfer of organelles, enzymes, and vesicles, or taken up by immune cells entirely and change the immune cell to become anti-inflammatory. Although MSCs harbour great potential in the treatment of diseases associated with an aberrant immune system, experimental results obtained from the lab do not precisely correlate with clinical outcomes. One of the main reasons for this disconnect from “benchside” to “bedside” is that the MSC’s mechanisms of action still require further elucidation. As a potential cell therapy candidate, MSCs are usually used as a frozen allogeneic product that is thawed at the treatment site and administered via intravenous infusion. Thus, patients receive a heterogeneous population of viable, dead and fragmented cell product […]

Faculty Supervisor:

Thomas Koch

Student:

Partner:

University Medical Center Rotterdam

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Biotechnology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Guelph

Program: