Title : The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of chemotherapy-related side effects
Abstract:
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are among the most commonly used cell types in regenerative medicine, as they can be easily obtained from a variety of sources, and are suitable for the auto- and allogeneic transplantations due to their immunomodulatory and low immunogenicity properties. A large number of studies have shown the beneficial effects of MSC-based therapies in the treatment of different pathologies, including neurological disorders. There are many studies on the prevention and treatment of the side effects caused by chemotherapy, but there is no proven way to prevent neuropathy. We investigated if MSCs have any beneficial effect in the chemotherapy induced side effects such as nephrotoxicity, testicular damage and peripheral neuropathy in rats. MSCs reduced chemotherapy induced autophagy markers in testicular tissue significantly. Degeneration of renal tubules and peripheral neuropathy were less in MSCs transplanted group. MSCs transplantation significantly attenuated acute kidney injury, testicular damage and neuropathic pain in rats. MSCs may exert their effects by localization to damaged tissues and/or secretion of several molecules. It has been reported that MSCs transplantation is safe and does not cause organ toxicity, but, MSCs in the tumor microenvironment can confer pro- or anti-tumorigenic potential so the therapeutic potential of MSCs in cancer is still controversial. So, further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to prove their safety and efficacy in clinical settings.
