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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Apr 26, 2024; 16(4): 375-388
Published online Apr 26, 2024. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i4.375
Interplay between mesenchymal stem cells and macrophages: Promoting bone tissue repair
Fei-Fan Zhang, Yang Hao, Kuai-Xiang Zhang, Jiang-Jia Yang, Zhi-Qiang Zhao, Hong-Jian Liu, Ji-Tian Li
Fei-Fan Zhang, Yang Hao, Kuai-Xiang Zhang, Jiang-Jia Yang, Zhi-Qiang Zhao, Ji-Tian Li, Molecular Biology Lab, Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
Fei-Fan Zhang, Jiang-Jia Yang, Ji-Tian Li, Graduate School, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, Hunan Province, China
Yang Hao, Kuai-Xiang Zhang, Ji-Tian Li, Graduate School, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
Hong-Jian Liu, Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang FF wrote the paper; Hao Y, Zhang KX, Yang JJ, and Zhao ZQ performed the collected the data; Liu HJ and Li JT responsible for review and revision; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, No. 2023YFC2508806; Key Research and Development Project in Henan Province, No. 231111310500; Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST, No. 2021-QNRC2-A06; Scientific Research Project of Henan Zhongyuan Medical Science and Technology Innovation and Development Foundation, No. ZYYC2023ZD; Youth Science Award Project of the Provincial-Level Joint Fund for Science and Technology Research and Development Project in Henan Province, No. 225200810084; Special Project on Training Top Talents in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Henan Province, No. 2022ZYBJ24; and 2023 Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Postgraduate Innovation Project, No. 2023CX64.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Ji-Tian Li, MD, PhD, Doctor, Professor, Molecular Biology Lab, Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), No. 100 Yongping Road, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China. jitianlee@hotmail.com
Received: December 30, 2023
Peer-review started: December 30, 2023
First decision: January 17, 2024
Revised: February 14, 2024
Accepted: March 19, 2024
Article in press: March 19, 2024
Published online: April 26, 2024
Abstract

The repair of bone tissue damage is a complex process that is well-orchestrated in time and space, a focus and difficulty in orthopedic treatment. In recent years, the success of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-mediated bone repair in clinical trials of large-area bone defects and bone necrosis has made it a candidate in bone tissue repair engineering and regenerative medicine. MSCs are closely related to macrophages. On one hand, MSCs regulate the immune regulatory function by influencing macrophages proliferation, infiltration, and phenotype polarization, while also affecting the osteoclasts differentiation of macrophages. On the other hand, macrophages activate MSCs and mediate the multilineage differentiation of MSCs by regulating the immune microenvironment. The cross-talk between MSCs and macrophages plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system and in promoting tissue regeneration. Making full use of the relationship between MSCs and macrophages will enhance the efficacy of MSCs therapy in bone tissue repair, and will also provide a reference for further application of MSCs in other diseases.

Keywords: Bone tissue damage, Inflammation, Macrophages, Mesenchymal stem cells, Tissue regeneration

Core Tip: Bone regeneration has always been a challenge and priority in the treatment of orthopedic diseases. The interaction between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and macrophages mediating the multilineage differentiation potential and immunomodulatory capabilities plays a crucial role in bone tissue repair and remodeling. Therefore, we reviewed the interactions between MSCs and macrophages, summarized the roles and potential of MSCs and macrophages in bone tissue regeneration, and looked forward to how to better utilize their relationship to enhance the efficacy of MSCs therapy in orthopedic diseases such as bone defects and osteoarthritis.