Published online Sep 26, 2019. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i9.578
Peer-review started: March 4, 2019
First decision: June 5, 2019
Revised: July 31, 2019
Accepted: August 27, 2019
Article in press: August 27, 2019
Published online: September 26, 2019
Functional impairment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), osteoblast progenitor cells, has been proposed to be a pathological mechanism contributing to bone disorders, such as osteoporosis (the most common bone disease) and other rare inherited skeletal dysplasias. Pathological bone loss can be caused not only by an enhanced bone resorption activity but also by hampered osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. The majority of the current treatment options counteract bone loss, and therefore bone fragility by blocking bone resorption. These so-called antiresorptive treatments, in spite of being effective at reducing fracture risk, cannot be administered for extended periods due to security concerns. Therefore, there is a real need to develop osteoanabolic therapies to promote bone formation. Human MSCs emerge as a suitable tool to study the etiology of bone disorders at the cellular level as well as to be used for cell therapy purposes for bone diseases. This review will focus on the most relevant findings using human MSCs as an in vitro cell model to unravel pathological bone mechanisms and the application and outcomes of human MSCs in cell therapy clinical trials for bone disease.
Core tip: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have emerged as an encouraging therapeutic strategy for the treatment of bone diseases. Moreover, certain limitations of animal models for the study of bone disorders highlight the suitability and benefits of hMSCs for the elucidation of these pathologies. The current review explains the available strategies based on hMSCs for bone illness, new treatment development, and future directions in the field for more accurate knowledge of the cause underlying these human pathologies.