Zou XF, Zhang BZ, Qian WW, Cheng FM. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in treatment of peripheral nerve injury. World J Stem Cells 2024; 16(8): 799-810 [PMID: 39219723 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i8.799]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Bao-Zhong Zhang, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Beijing 100730, China. zhangbzh@pumch.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Neurosciences
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. Aug 26, 2024; 16(8): 799-810 Published online Aug 26, 2024. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i8.799
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in treatment of peripheral nerve injury
Xiong-Fei Zou, Bao-Zhong Zhang, Wen-Wei Qian, Florence Mei Cheng
Xiong-Fei Zou, Bao-Zhong Zhang, Wen-Wei Qian, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100730, China
Florence Mei Cheng, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Ohio, OH 43210, United States
Co-corresponding authors: Bao-Zhong Zhang and Wen-Wei Qian.
Author contributions: Zou XF, Zhang BZ, and Qian WW proposed the research topic and designed the research method; Zou XF organized and analyzed the literature and wrote and revised the manuscript; Zhang BZ and Qian WW provided critical revisions for the article; Cheng FM polished the language of the article. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Zhang BZ and Qian WW contributed equally to this paper and should be considered as co-corresponding authors.
Supported byCAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, No. 2022-I2M-C&T-B-034.
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: Bao-Zhong Zhang, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Beijing 100730, China. zhangbzh@pumch.cn
Received: March 7, 2024 Revised: May 20, 2024 Accepted: August 5, 2024 Published online: August 26, 2024 Processing time: 171 Days and 23.6 Hours
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a common neurological disorder and complete functional recovery is difficult to achieve. In recent years, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have emerged as ideal seed cells for PNI treatment due to their strong differentiation potential and autologous transplantation ability. This review aims to summarize the molecular mechanisms by which BMSCs mediate nerve repair in PNI. The key mechanisms discussed include the differentiation of BMSCs into multiple types of nerve cells to promote repair of nerve injury. BMSCs also create a microenvironment suitable for neuronal survival and regeneration through the secretion of neurotrophic factors, extracellular matrix molecules, and adhesion molecules. Additionally, BMSCs release pro-angiogenic factors to promote the formation of new blood vessels. They modulate cytokine expression and regulate macrophage polarization, leading to immunomodulation. Furthermore, BMSCs synthesize and release proteins related to myelin sheath formation and axonal regeneration, thereby promoting neuronal repair and regeneration. Moreover, this review explores methods of applying BMSCs in PNI treatment, including direct cell transplantation into the injured neural tissue, implantation of BMSCs into nerve conduits providing support, and the application of genetically modified BMSCs, among others. These findings confirm the potential of BMSCs in treating PNI. However, with the development of this field, it is crucial to address issues related to BMSC therapy, including establishing standards for extracting, identifying, and cultivating BMSCs, as well as selecting application methods for BMSCs in PNI such as direct transplantation, tissue engineering, and genetic engineering. Addressing these issues will help translate current preclinical research results into clinical practice, providing new and effective treatment strategies for patients with PNI.
Core Tip: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have become ideal seed cells for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) due to their strong differentiation potential and the possibility of autologous transplantation. In this review, we introduce the biological characteristics of BMSCs related to PNI, outline the current mechanisms by which BMSCs promote the regeneration and repair of PNI, and summarize the various application methods of BMSCs in PNI, confirming the potential of BMSCs in the treatment of PNI and providing great support for the development of new treatment strategies for nerve regeneration and repair in PNI.
