Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Fibrotic Disease

Elie El Agha, Rafael Kramann, Rebekka K. Schneider, Xiaokun Li, Werner Seeger, Benjamin D. Humphreys, Saverio Bellusci

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

335 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fibrosis is associated with organ failure and high mortality and is commonly characterized by aberrant myofibroblast accumulation. Investigating the cellular origin of myofibroblasts in various diseases is thus a promising strategy for developing targeted anti-fibrotic treatments. Recent studies using genetic lineage tracing technology have implicated diverse organ-resident perivascular mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like cells and bone marrow-MSCs in myofibroblast generation during fibrosis development. In this Review, we give an overview of the emerging role of MSCs and MSC-like cells in myofibroblast-mediated fibrotic disease in the kidney, lung, heart, liver, skin, and bone marrow. Fibrosis is associated with organ failure and is characterized by aberrant myofibroblast accumulation; thus, investigating the cellular origin of myofibroblasts is a promising therapeutic strategy. Here we discuss the emerging role of MSCs and MSC-like cells in myofibroblast-mediated fibrotic disease in the kidney, lung, heart, liver, skin, and bone marrow.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)166-177
Number of pages12
JournalCell Stem Cell
Volume21
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 3 2017

Keywords

  • lineage tracing
  • mesenchymal stem cells
  • organ fibrosis

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