Discovered by Dr. Arnold Caplan of Case Western University, mesenchymal stem cells were first identified and named in the 1980s when Caplan realized that there were stem cells in the body that could respond to powerful inductive molecules that exist in adult tissue. These special cells can make several types of cells belonging to our skeletal tissues, such as cartilage, bone and fat. They are also being explored as a new therapeutic for treating a variety of immune-mediated diseases.
During 30 years of scientific inquiry, Dr. Caplan and colleagues discovered that MSCs are more accurately medicinal signaling cells that monitor and protect virtually every vessel in our bodies. That encompasses 60,000-100,000 miles of vessels that transport oxygen, nutrition and waste to and from every one of our cells. When an MSC (or its precursor) detects an infection or an injury to those vessels, it transforms into a bio-factory to secrete and recruit immune modulating and vessel repair agents.
MSCs were first commercialized by Dr. Caplan when he partnered with Peter Freidli, serial entrepreneur Kevin Kimberlin and Spencer Trask & Co. Together they launched Osiris Therapeutics, a company that initially focused on using MSCs for the treatment of a rare, devastating disease in children called Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD). Osiris developed its proprietary drug Prochymal (i.e., remestemcel-L) and shepherded this MSC-based therapy through clinical trials and secured the world’s first approved systemically delivered cell therapy to allow the advancement and application of MSCs into the marketplace. Prochymal was sold to Australia-based Mesoblast and renamed Ryoncil in 2012, but Osiris continued to expand its work and product to cover many other applications of MSCs within the field of regenerative medicine. *The FDA is currently reviewing Ryoncil for use in the United States and should reach its decision by September 30, 2020.
Currently, MSCs are being explored as a treatment for hundreds of ailments and diseases from diabetes to heart disease to bone regeneration. Most immediately, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City is leading a trial of MSCs on 300 ventilator-dependent Covid-19 patients across the country. In a 12-patient pilot in May, it showed an 83% survival rate, which is astonishing as most patients who go on the ventilators do not recover at all.
Overview: “Now that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be perivascular in vivo, the existing traditional view that focuses on the multipotent differentiation capacity of these cells should be expanded to include their equally interesting role as cellular modulators that brings them into a broader therapeutic scenario. We discuss existing evidence that leads us to propose that during local injury, MSCs are released from their perivascular location, become activated, and establish a regenerative microenvironment by…” (©2011 Elsevier Inc.)
Overview: “Severe cases of COVID‐19 infection, often leading to death, have been associated with variants of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Cell therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a potential treatment for COVID‐19 ARDS based on preclinical and clinical studies supporting the concept that MSCs modulate the inflammatory and remodeling processes and restore…” (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. ©2020)
Overview: “MSCs and MSC-like cells can be isolated from the amniotic fluid and neonatal tissues such as umbilical cord and placenta. In general, MSCs are well tolerated, non-tumourigenic and the transplantation of these cells appears to be beneficial in a variety of diseases and conditions. Their high availability and relatively low-risk profile made MSCs a promising stem cell source for…” (Drug Target Review ©2018)
Overview: “In the late 1980s, I coined the name ‘‘mesenchymal stem cell’’ (MSC) to provocatively emphasize that multi-lineage progenitor cells could be isolated and culture-expanded from human adult bone marrow. The appropriate acronym, MSC, was generally accepted, and the use of this term eventually resulted in a consensus paper that further strengthened the…” (Tissue Engineering ©2010)
Overview: “MSCs are self-renewing, multipotent precursors. They were originally found to reside in the stromal adherent fraction of the bone marrow, where they sustain the homeostatic turnover of non-hematopoietic stromal cells, regulate HSC maintenance and might contribute to vascular stability…” (Springer Nature Limited ©2019)
Overview: “Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been the subject of clinical trials for more than a generation, and the outcomes of advanced clinical trials have fallen short of expectations raised by encouraging pre-clinical animal data in a wide array of disease models…” (Cell Stem Cell ©2018)
Overview: “Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are fibroblast-like cells that give rise to mesenchymal derivatives including bone, fat and cartilage cells. In addition to the bone marrow, they can be readily obtained from adult vascularized peripheral tissues including adipose, olfactory, respiratory tissue, and peripheral blood…” (Drug Target Review ©2018)
Overview: “More than 1050 clinical trials are registered at FDA.gov that explore multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for nearly every clinical application imaginable, including neurodegenerative and cardiac disorders, perianal fistulas, graft-versus-host disease, COVID-19, and cancer. Several companies have or are in the process of commercializing MSC-based therapies…” (Science Advances ©2020)