Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. May 26, 2023; 15(5): 369-384
Published online May 26, 2023. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v15.i5.369
Stimulating factors for regulation of osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Jia-Qi Zhou, Hao-Yang Wan, Zi-Xuan Wang, Nan Jiang
Jia-Qi Zhou, Hao-Yang Wan, Zi-Xuan Wang, Nan Jiang, Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Zhou JQ and Wan HY contributed equally to this study; Jiang N conceived and designed the study; Zhou JQ searched the literature; Zhou JQ and Wan HY drew the figure; Zhou JQ and Wang ZX drafted the article; Wan HY and Jiang N made critical revisions; all the authors approved the final version of the submitted article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nan Jiang, MD, Researcher, Surgeon, Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 Guangzhou Avenue North, Baiyun District, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China. hnxyjn@smu.edu.cn
Received: January 8, 2023
Peer-review started: January 8, 2023
First decision: February 2, 2023
Revised: February 21, 2023
Accepted: March 29, 2023
Article in press: March 29, 2023
Published online: May 26, 2023
Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), distributed in many tissues in the human body, are multipotent cells capable of differentiating in specific directions. It is usually considered that the differentiation process of MSCs depends on specialized external stimulating factors, including cell signaling pathways, cytokines, and other physical stimuli. Recent findings have revealed other underrated roles in the differentiation process of MSCs, such as material morphology and exosomes. Although relevant achievements have substantially advanced the applicability of MSCs, some of these regulatory mechanisms still need to be better understood. Moreover, limitations such as long-term survival in vivo hinder the clinical application of MSCs therapy. This review article summarizes current knowledge regarding the differentiation patterns of MSCs under specific stimulating factors.

Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, Differentiation, Osteogenic, Chondrogenic, Literature review.

Core Tip: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells capable of differentiating in specific directions. The differentiation process of MSCs depends on diverse specialized external stimulating factors. The results from recent studies have revealed other underrated roles in the differentiation process of MSCs. However, several questions remain to be solved prior to stable and effective clinical treatment. Our review explores the differentiation patterns of MSCs and summarizes the relevant research according to stimulus types. Finally, future prospects are discussed with regard to their clinical applications.