RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells as a valuable source for the treatment of immune-mediated disorders

Abstract

Over recent years, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and their potential biomedical applications have received much attention from the global scientific community in an increasing manner. Firstly, MSCs were successfully isolated from human bone marrow (BM), but in the next steps, they were also extracted from other sources, mostly from the umbilical cord (UC) and adipose tissue (AT). The International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) has suggested minimum criteria to identify and characterize MSCs as follows: plastic adherence, surface expression of CD73, D90, CD105 in the lack of expression of CD14, CD34, CD45, and human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR), and also the capability to differentiate to multiple cell types including adipocyte, chondrocyte, or osteoblast in vitro depends on culture conditions. However, these distinct properties, including self-renewability, multipotency, and easy accessibility are just one side of the coin; another side is their huge secretome which is comprised of hundreds of mediators, cytokines, and signaling molecules and can effectively modulate the inflammatory responses and control the infiltration process that finally leads to a regulated tissue repair/healing or regeneration process. MSC-mediated immunomodulation is a direct result of a harmonic synergy of MSC-released signaling molecules (i.e., mediators, cytokines, and chemokines), the reaction of immune cells and other target cells to those molecules, and also feedback in the MSC-molecule-target cell axis. These features make MSCs a respectable and eligible therapeutic candidate to be evaluated in immune-mediated disorders, such as graft versus host diseases (GVHD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn’s disease (CD), and osteoarthritis (OA), and even in immune-dysregulating infectious diseases such as the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This paper discussed the therapeutic applications of MSC secretome and its biomedical aspects related to immune-mediated conditions. Sources for MSC extraction, their migration and homing properties, therapeutic molecules released by MSCs, and the pathways and molecular mechanisms possibly involved in the exceptional immunoregulatory competence of MSCs were discussed. Besides, the novel discoveries and recent findings on immunomodulatory plasticity of MSCs, clinical applications, and the methods required for their use as an effective therapeutic option in patients with immune-mediated/immune-dysregulating diseases were highlighted.

Introduction

As known, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are the plastic adherent spindle-shaped cells isolated from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AT), umbilical cord (UC), and other tissue sources showing multipotent differentiation characteristic in vitro [1]. For the first time, MSCs were isolated from murine BM by Friendenstein et al. and were termed as hematopoiesis-supporting cells in BM [2]. They showed that these cells were separate from the hematopoietic cells because of dissimilarities in the capability to adhere to the tissue culture vessels and the fibroblast-like morphology of their progeny in culture [2, 3]. Friendenstein et al. offered a prominent advance by demonstrating that the expansion of BM cell suspensions at clonal density led to the creation of separate colonies that originated from single cells (the colony-forming unit-fibroblasts, CFU-Fs) [4]. Though exclusive characteristics quoted for MSCs vary among specialists due to the lack of a generally accepted surface marker phenotype, all suggested that MSC’s populations show plastic adherent property along with the expression of CD73, CD90, and CD105 in the absence of hematopoietic markers, most importantly, CD45, CD34, CD14, CD19, and CD3 [5]. Moreover, MSCs can give rise to three mesodermal lineages osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes in vitro [6]. The minimal criteria provided by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) could be applied to all types of MSCs, while some discrepancy has been reported. During the last decades, MSC’s particular possessions, such as self-renewal, multipotency, accessibility, less ethical concerns, and immunomodulatory attributes, have emphasized their importance in stem cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine [7]. They can expand ex vivo in culture upon procurement and differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, and myogenic cells and other lineages for repair and recovery of target tissues [8]. Interestingly, given the unique immunomodulatory competence of MSC, which are predominantly exerted by a synergy of cell contact-dependent processes and soluble factors, they attracted increasing attention in enabling tissue regeneration and homeostasis in immunological disorders, such as graft versus host diseases (GVHD), multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory lung and musculoskeletal disorders, and Crohn’s disease (CD) [9, 10]. A variety of studies on animal models of immune-mediated disorders have evidenced that MSCs are capable of survival and interfere with the growth, activation, and function of immune cells following transplantation. For example, MSCs inhibited the proliferation and infiltration of immune cells into the skin through reduction of CCR4 and CCR8 expression on CD4-positive T cells and CCR1 on CD11b-positive monocyte/macrophages cells [11] concomitant with a decrease in expression of chemokines such as CCL1, CCL3, CCL8, CCL17, and CCL22 in skin resulted in alleviated cutaneous sclerodermatous GVHD in rodent models [12]. Furthermore, the MSC secretome includes cytokines, chemokines, microRNAs (miRNAs), growth factors, and proteins which can signify a reasonable alternative to their application [13]. Now, there exists robust evidence supporting the hypothesis that proximity of MSCs from adjacent tissues is not required as their soluble trophic factors are conveyed to the target tissues, allowing their repair and hemostasis [14]. Thereby, the use of MSC secretome encompassing exosomes and microvesicles (MV), generally known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), can be considered a rational and practical therapeutic strategy to treat immunological disorders. Compared to their parent MSCs, EVs expose a higher safety profile and can be safely kept without losing their functional activities [15]. The exosomes are significantly complicated in cell communication and immunomodulatory functions [16]. They are nano-sized (30–100 nm) lipid-bilayer membrane vesicles produced by inward budding of the intracellular endosomal membrane upon the formation of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and are identified in different body fluids [17,18,19]. Also, MVs size usually ranges from 100 nm to 1 μm secreted through direct plasma membrane budding [20].

In this review, a brief overview of MSC sources, migration process, and unique immunomodulatory attribute’s mechanisms was provided while focusing on the current findings on immunoregulatory plasticity of MSCs which contribute to the regulation of immune response to elicit the desired therapeutic outcomes in patients suffering from immune-mediated/immune-dysregulating diseases.

Sources of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs)

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) can be isolated from multiple human tissues, implying the significance of the selection of more appropriated sources concerning their logistical, practical, in vitro characteristics, target tissue, and therapeutic goal [21, 22]. Today, the major and most well-known sources of MSCs are BM, AT, and UC; however, they can be isolated from dental pulps (DP), endometrium, peripheral blood (PB), skin, placenta (PL), synovial fluid (SF), muscle, Wharton’s jelly (WJ), etc. [4]. MSCs can supposedly be isolated from any human tissue, while there exist concrete restrictions based on the availability of source tissues and invasiveness of the isolation procedures and also different donor’s features. It is of paramount importance to select a fitting cell source, evaluate the difficulty of samples procurement process, and consider the possible untoward effects of collecting cells from donors [23, 24]. For instance, obtaining MSCs from BM can result in pain, bleeding, or infection, thereby making it more challenging than isolation from PB or surgical remnants (e.g., AT, DP, and UC) [25]. There are some differences in terms of marker expression, proliferation and differentiation potential, clonality, and paracrine activities among cells from various sources. In this regard, UC-MSCs displayed a more significant rate of cell proliferation and clonality in association with lower expression of p53, p21, and p16 compared to the cells isolated from BM and AT. Furthermore, UC-MSCs showed more prominent inhibitory effects on serum levels of the IL-1α, IL-6, and IL-8 in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-treated rats compared to AT-MSCs and UC-MSCs [26]. On the other hand, MSCs derived from human placenta (PL-MSCs) demonstrated exclusive proteome profiles and revealed higher therapeutic efficacy than the cells isolated from BM and AT in the hindlimb ischemia in animal models [27]. Other studies have revealed a higher frequency of non-functional cells in BM-MSCs than in WJ-MSCs and stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) [28]. Additionally, molecular investigations presented the augmented expression of INF-γ, PDGFA, VEGF, IL10, and stromal-derived factor (SDF) in SHED compared to WJ-MSC and BM-MSC, indicating that SHED are possibly more effective than BM-MSC and WJ-MSC in modulating the immune response and fibrosis process [28]. MSCs isolated from AT, BM, and WJ presented similar cell surface antigen expression levels and showed comparable differentiation competence, BM-MSCs and WJ-MSC were superior over AT-MSCs concerning proliferation and clonality potential [29]. Regarding differential capacity, Bernardo et al. found that BM-MSCs have a more prominent chondrogenic differentiation potential than cells isolated from PL and fetal tissues [30], as displayed through the presence of representative morphological properties of cartilage, the concentration of toluidine blue stain, and the expression of collagen type II, IX, and X upon culture under chondrogenic conditions [30]. Furthermore, AT-MSCs and UC-MSCs displayed greater osteogenic potential compared to the chorionic membrane (CM)- and decidua (DC)-MSCs [31], and fibronectin could dramatically improve the osteogenic potential of MSCs mainly mediated by the promotion of phosphorylation and activation of Akt and ERK signaling axis [31].

In sum, though MSCs isolated from various tissues display a variety of common appearances, their biological functions, and some markers are dissimilar depending on the their origins. MSCs derived from diverse origins are phenotypically heterogeneous and demonstrate varied differentiation possibilities and release of bioactive factors related to tissue origin. The selection of MSCs with particular biological possessions provides the opportunity to use targeted therapies, in which the source of MSCs and the duration of culture act as influential marker [32].

Immunomodulatory properties of MSCs

As mentioned earlier, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells have the competence to modify immunological reactions through several mechanisms such as T cell suppression accompanied by induction of macrophages shift from M1 to M2 [33]. Therefore, they have been considered as an emerging therapeutic approach to treat immune-mediated disorders, such as GVHD, MS, and CD [34]. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy of MSC administration has been evidenced in acute lung injuries (ALI) and musculoskeletal diseases. In this regard, MSCs can migrate to injured sites after systemic injection and subsequently elicit a therapeutic effect through several mechanisms, particularly immunomodulation, and angiogenesis [35, 36]. While the corresponding mechanism involved in MSC immunomodulation has not yet been fully found, it seems that cell-to-cell contact along with trophic factors plays the central role in this process. MSCs can modify cytokine release’s profile of dendritic cells (DCs), naive and effector T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells to induce a superior anti-inflammatory or tolerant phenotype. They commonly affect mature DC type 1 (DC1) to diminish the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), modify DC2 to promote IL-10 secretion, adjust Th1 cells to decrease IFN-γ release, and finally provoke TH2 cells to upsurge IL-4 secretion [37]. Moreover, they trigger a rise in the frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and a decrease in IFN-γ produced by NK cells [38]. A wide spectrum of soluble ingredients, in particular, transforms growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), indoleamine-pyrrole 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), nitric oxide (NO), and IL-10 [4, 39,40,41] and has been supported that contribute to the immunomodulation axis. The PGE2 is a lipid intermediate proposed as a central factor stimulating T cell suppression by MSCs. It is generated from arachidonic acid through the functions of either the constitutive cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) or the inducible COX-2 enzymes, commonly expressed by human MSCs [42]. In addition, IDO as another soluble factor released by MSCs enables breakdown of tryptophan, which is required for T lymphocyte effector functions, and thereby resulted in immunosuppression in injured sites after MSC transplantation. MSCs do not constitutively express IDO, but they can be stimulated to express IDO upon inducement by IFN-γ but not TNF-α [43]. Sundrud et al. have suggested that IDO may hinder T cell proliferation and effector T cell activation and also induce NK cell apoptosis [44]. Regarding other reports, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and FasL molecules may contribute to the immunoregulation stimulated by human MSCs (e.g., PL-MSCs) [45]. Observations have evidenced promoted levels of PD receptor expression on the surface of human T-effector cells following co-culture with MSCs in vitro, indicating the potential role of PD-1/B7-H1 axis in the mediation of the inhibitory effect of MSCs on effector T cells [46]. Furthermore, AT-MSC stimulated suppressive effects on T cells by promoting the expression of immunomodulatory cytokines, encompassing TGF-β, and IL-10, in association with IFN-γ inhibition and expression of T-bet transcription factors [47]. It has already been found that TGF-β and IL-10 contribute to the suppressive activities of Tregs and are critical for supporting immune homeostasis [48]. The performance of TGF-β as an immune regulator of T cell function is demonstrated by similarities between TGF-β1 knockout and T cell-specific TGF-β receptor II knockout rodents. Rodents in both models suffered from severe multiorgan autoimmunity, leading to premature death [34, 49]. Concerning genomic and proteomics analysis displaying high-level HGF expression and secretion from MSCs, other studies have clarified its potent role in MSC-induced immunomodulation. Investigations have revealed that HGF-treated monocytes remained undifferentiated and could alter Th cell profile from Th1 toward Th2 [50]. Also, in vivo studies have indicated that MSCs alleviated early ALI via paracrine HGF which induced mature DC differentiation into regulatory DCs in rodent models. Also, some studies have delivered proof of the concept that enhancing endogenous HGF secretion may induce partial rescue in patients suffering from inflammatory lung diseases [51].

Briefly, transplanted MSCs can migrate to the inflammation site and stimulate potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects through cell-cell contact between MSCs and lymphocytes or generation of soluble factors, signifying that MSC application in many conditions is full of potentials for future clinical treatment [52, 53].

MSC homing and migration

One of the central advantages of MSC-based therapies is their ability to favorably home deteriorated tissue or organ. Homing encompasses both non-systemic and systemic homing [54]. In non-systemic homing, MSCs are grafted locally at the target tissue and are previously directed to the damage area by a chemokine gradient. However, in systemic homing, MSCs are injected or endogenously recruited into the bloodstream and experience a sequential process to exit circulation and migrate to the damaged area. The process of systemic homing is commonly split into five steps: (1) tethering and rolling (2) activation, (3) arrest, (4) transmigration, and (5) migration. In this section, MSC homing and migration both in vitro and in vivo is discussed and the crucial role of important chemokines and other factors in this perspective is elucidated [55].

In vitro MSC migration

In vitro, MSCs migrate in response to multiple chemotactic factors such as platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), chemokines RANTES, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), and stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1). MSC expresses these factor-related receptors, including the receptor tyrosine kinases for PDGF and IGF, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR4 for RANTES, MDC receptors for MDC, and CXCR4 receptor for SDF-1 [56]. Chemokines are more active on TNF-α-primed cells, signifying the high association between MSC recruitment, their succeeding homing to damaged tissue, and systemic and local inflammatory circumstances [56]. Bhakta et al. suggested that MSCs can be proficiently transduced to overexpress CXCR4, which consequently allows swift migration of transduced MSCs toward SDF-1 [57]. On the other hand, in vitro analysis showed that platelet-rich concentrates improved the migration potential of MSCs because of the persistent release of TGF-β1, IGF, VEGF, and PDGF-AB [57]. Also, preconditioning of MSCs with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) improved survival signaling axis activation, trophic factor release, and proangiogenic molecules, including COX-2, HIF-1, CXCR4, CCR2, VEGF, Ang-2, and Ang-4, which in turn, led to the upheld migration competence of MSCs [58]. Although MSCs are extensively used in clinical trials upon ex vivo expansion due to their low frequency, it is not clear how expansion and GMP manufacturing procedures may affect MSC homing capacity following transplantation. Additionally, it seems that the duration of cell culture, medium ingredients, and cell expansion levels may strongly affect MSC’s morphology, differentiation, viability, and migratory attributes [59]. Furthermore, studies revealed that freshly procured MSCs possess higher homing capability compared to expanded MSC and that diverse MSC subtypes, such as classical MSC and multipotent adult progenitor cells, display non-similar migration potential during in vitro migration assays [60]. This theory that altered MSC provisions can stimulate discrepancy based on their homing receptor expression leading to a different therapeutic outcome highlights the importance of optimizing of MSC expansion procedures before transplantation.

Endogenous MSC migration and homing

MSCs are localized in the BM from where they are recruited to other sites by processes possibly comparable to those applied by HSCs. Nevertheless, MSC may be located and circulated in PB, making it difficult to specifically identify migrating MSCs. MSC recognition in the PB is debated, whereas some studies confirmed that cord blood and mobilized PB may contain a significant number of cells [61]. Besides, Alm et al. identified MSCs in PB in patients suffering from hip bone fractures [62]; however, it could be asked whether MSC exists in PB of those patients by active migration or involvement of mechanical disturbance of bone tissue. Observations in murine have revealed that hypoxia induces MSC recruitment in PB [63] and also evidenced a promoted number of fluorescent MSC in murine PB following liver injury stimulation [64], indicating that systemic signals induce MSC secretion from BM. Besides, it was detected that MSCs may be released by adipose tissue in response to inflammation and that they are collected in lymph nodes and blood vessels by SDF-1/CXCR4-dependent axis (Fig. 1a) [65]. Recently, a study in murine models signified that CCR9, CXCR4, and c-MET play pivotal role in directing endogenous MSC migration toward the injured liver. The migrated murine BM-MSCs elicited diverse functions, particularly hepatic fate specification, and obstruction of hepatic stellate cell functions which led to suppression of collagen accumulations and liver fibrosis progression [64]. Given that a comprehensive array of human tissues have their own MSC, other findings have showed that local MSC from tissue or blood vessels can migrate only a short distance to reach the injured organ and thus cut the bloodstream route short (Fig. 1b) [60].

Fig. 1

Two mechanisms suggested for recruiting endogenous MSC after tissue injury. a Special mediators (e.g., cytokines and growth factors) secreted by the injured tissue can stimulate recruitment of MSC from BM to injured sites through circulation. b Otherwise, MSC can be recruited from within tissues to the injured sites by migration within the stroma or through micro-capillaries. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC); bone marrow (BM); stem cell factor (SCF); stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1); granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)

Migration and homing of transplanted MSCs

MSCs are progressively utilized as an intravenously used cellular therapeutic. The homing potential and engraftment to the injured site determine the potent efficacy of MSC-based cell therapy. There are some missing understandings for the biodistribution of MSCs, their cellular or molecular target structures, and responsible mechanisms by which MSCs are recruited to the target site [66]. MSC migration and engraftment process is affected by both chemical (e.g., chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors) and mechanical factors (e.g., hemodynamic forces) [67]. In vivo researches proved that the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis acts as an influential factor in the modification of motility of MSC-transplanted through intravenous (IV) routes, and also revealed that improvement in CXCR4 expression may be a possible approach to develop engraftment of MSC in BM and improve the recovery of hematopoiesis in NOD/SCID mice [68]. Besides, the promotion of myocardial SDF-1 expression after induction of myocardial infarction (MI) could promote the engraftment of transplanted MSCs in the injured heart and thus restore cardiac performance by upholding neovascularization in animal models [69]. In other MI animal models, studies showed that labeling of MSCs with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles makes tracking of administrated cells possible [70]. Examining the potential role of chemotactic SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis in the recruitment of engrafted BM-MSCs to the damaged cochlea following a noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) confirmed the presence of the labeled transplanted cells in cochlear tissue of the murine models. Meanwhile, elevated levels of SDF-1 found in cochlear tissue confirmed that the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway plays a central role in BM-MSC migration into the injured sites after administration [71]. In this regard, other reports demonstrated that Fe3O4@polydopamine nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA NPs) improved the migration ability of MSCs by increasing CXCR4 expression levels [72]. A study on a murine model of burn injury showed that IV transplantation of labeled MSCs with Fe3O4@PDA NPs caused more reduction in inflammation of transplanted control mice. Additionally, the labeled MSC group displayed heightened cytokines and decreased production of proinflammatory factors [72]. In general, an extensive variety of mechanical and chemical factors have been elucidated that may affect MSC migration; however, most of these findings are developed by single-factor analysis at the cellular level in vitro, emphasizing the accomplishment of more comprehensive and multifaceted in vivo studies.

Though MSC homing after transplantation has been evidenced, this process failed to be prominently effective since only a small number of cells reach the target tissue and remain there after systemic injection. This has been attributed to the low expression rate of homing molecules concomitant with attenuation of expression of such molecules throughout expansion along with the heterogeneity of MSCs in cultures and MSC cultivation methods. A better comprehension of MSC’s biology, migration, and the homing mechanisms allow preparing MSCs with ideal homing competencies [73]. Moreover, despite the endogenous recruitment of MSCs, most adult tissues fail to heal after injury, which proves that these mechanisms are inadequate [74].

Application of MSC therapy in immune-mediated disorders

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) exhibit anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties in addition to the multipotency capability. Following extensive preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, autologous and allogeneic MSCs have been used in clinical trials in a variety of immune-mediated disorders, encompassing GVHD, SLE, OA, RA, MS, COVID-19, ALI/ARDS, etc. (Table 1). Current findings suggest that MSCs may not only replace the injured tissues but also deliver a pool of growth factors and regenerative molecules. Interestingly, MSCs can modify their gene expression profile in the damaged microenvironment and modulate the expression profiles of adjacent cells. For example, Cho et al. revealed that under the co-culture of MSCs and normal liver cells, expression levels of the CXCR6, CCR3, IL-2, IL-11, CD34, CD74, pro-collagen, FMS-like tyrosine kinase (FLT-3), neuregulin 4, Wnt2, and catenins were promoted. Conversely, under the co-culture of MSCs and the CCl₄-injured liver cells, expression levels of CXCL2, cytoglobin, erythropoietin (EPO), v-Erb, retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR-ß), and Vav2 were boosted [75]. These findings represent the significance of identifying the differential molecular mechanisms that adjust the potentials of MSCs in the regeneration of damaged tissue.

Table 1 A brief overview of clinical trials in the context of the MSC-based therapy for immune-mediated disorders registered in ClinicalTrails.gov (January 2021)

MSCs in graft versus host disease (GVHD)

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a severe complication detected after approximately 40–60% of allogeneic HSC transplants but infrequently upon solid organ transplants. Acute GVHD is a multifaceted inflammatory disease in which various factors such as conditioning, recruitment of donor immune cells, and the release of proinflammatory cytokines are proposed to be contributed. MSC therapy is now a promising alternative for the treatment of acute GVHD (Fig. 2) [76]. Studies have shown that subconjunctival transplantation of human MSCs in ocular GVHD models reduced the number of CD3-positive cells in the injured site. In addition to the decreased tear osmolarity in transplanted eyes, MSC transplantation resulted in diminished Pax6 in experimental corneal models. These findings demonstrated that MSC therapy can modify corneal inflammation and squamous metaplasia in ocular GVHD, signifying the therapeutic potential of local MSC administration in this condition [77]. Tang et al. observed that the use of genetically engineered MSCs to overexpress intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (MSCs-ICAM-1) inhibited DC maturation and T cell immune response according to the mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) and lymphoblast transformation test (LTT) in vitro [78]. On the other hand, MSCs-ICAM-1 administration robustly extended the overall survival rate of the animal models of GVHD. The injected MSCs-ICAM-1 were recruited to secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) in vivo, hindered the maturation of DCs and CD4⁺ T cell differentiation to Th1 cells, and also improved the frequency of Treg cells [78]. Although they failed to describe the rationality of ICAM-1 application, studies in a murine autoimmune thyroiditis model have indicated that ICAM-1 could affect the immunomodulatory potential of MSCs by targeting their migration in vivo [79]. Other observations exhibited that CXCR4 overexpressing MSCs (MSC-CXCR4) retained their immunomodulatory potential and exposed promoted migration competency in vitro [80]. In a murine GVHD model, intravenous infusion of MSC-CXCR4 ameliorated survival rate and alleviated clinical and pathological GVHD scores. Serological analyses evidenced a reduction in IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α and conversely an increase in IL-4 and IL-10 plasma levels in transplanted mice [80]. Likewise, a study on murine sclerodermatous GVHD showed that MSC therapy relieved the clinical and pathological gravity of cutaneous sclerodermatous GVHD [12]. Moreover, a reduction in skin collagen production in association with inhibition of TGF-β expression and function was supported in experimental transplanted models. Observations verified that MSCs not only migrated to the skin but also suppressed the recruitment of immune functional cells into the skin through inhibition of CCR4 and CCR8 expression on CD4⁺ T cells, which play a critical role in GVHD onset and progression [12]. Similarly, other studies revealed that MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) recapped the therapeutic effects of MSCs on GVHD. For instance, IV injection of human MSC-EVs enabled extended survival of rodents with GVHD and recovered the pathologic injuries in various GVHD-affected organs, possibly mediated by inhibition of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell function and infiltration, and also promotion of Treg cell population. Microarray analysis exposed promoted levels of miR-125a-3p in the MSC-EVs [76]. As upregulated levels of the miR-125a family can suppress macrophage and effector T cell function [81], it seems that miR-125a-3p may be responsible for the alleviated clinical symptoms of GVHD in vivo. A phase II clinical trial carried out between October 2001 and January 2007 on 55 participants with steroid-resistant acute GVHD developed after HSC transplantation revealed that systemic BM-MSC injection could partially rescue the clinical presentation of transplant patients. Regarding observations, no participant experienced untoward effects during or immediately after MSC infusions and 9 participants presented a significant recovery [82]. These findings implied that injection of MSCs expanded in vitro, regardless of the donor, can be an operative and effective therapeutic modality for patients with steroid-resistant, acute GVHD. Besides, a double-blind randomized controlled trial showed that UC-MSC transplantation remarkably reduced the onset of chronic GVHD following HLA-haploidentical stem cell transplantation in the transplanted groups (27.4%) compared to control groups (49.0%) during 24-month follow-up. More importantly, UC-MSC therapy promoted memory B lymphocytes and the percentage of Tregs in association with increased Th1 to Th2 ratio; however, it stimulated a reduction in the number of NK cells [83].

Fig. 2

MSC-based therapy for treating GVHD. Owing to their exclusive immunomodulatory properties, MSC injection can restore clinical symptoms in GVHD in vivo. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC); graft versus host diseases (GVHD); transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β); hepatocyte growth factor (HGF); indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO); cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2); prostaglandin E2 (PGE2); programmed death receptor (PD); programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1); tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), TNFα-stimulated gene-6 (TSG6); interferon-gamma (IFN-γ); immunoglobulin (Ig); T helper cell (Th); T regulatory cell (T reg); M1 and M2 macrophage (M1 and M2); natural killer cell (NKC); dendritic cell (DC); cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)

MSCs in systemic lupus erythematosus

The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a polymorphic, multisystemic autoimmune disease leading to extensive inflammation, which in turn, induces tissue’s deterioration in joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. It is characterized by a comprehensive disturbance of self-tolerance by autoreactive T and B cell activation leading to the generation of pathogenic autoantibodies and tissue deterioration [84]. Concerning underlying pathological mechanisms, rapidly evolving clinical trials suggest that MSC-based therapy may be an optimal treatment strategy for severe and refractory SLE [85,86,87]. Interestingly, reports exhibited that BM-MSCs procured from SLE patients show high levels of abnormalities, most importantly, cytoskeleton-related dysfunctions and intensified cellular senescence due to the upregulated expression of p53 and p16 accompanied by promoted apoptosis in comparison with normal MSCs [88]. In addition to the compromised differentiation and recruitment potential, expression profiles of genes related to immunological events in SLE-MSCs, including IDO, IL-6, IL-7, and TGF-β, are generally discrete from those in normal cells [89]. Consistently, biological activities of MSCs from SLE patients or lupus animal models are rigorously impaired, fail to modify multiple immune cell functions, and may support the autoimmunity onset through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as well as DNA damage [90]. Observations have demonstrated that murine BM-MSC transplantation into the SLE murine model had no significant effect on serum levels of anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) or proteinuria, while a restoration in glomerular immune complexes, lymphocytic infiltration, and glomerular proliferation was evidenced, representing the therapeutic potential of MSCs in the rescue of glomerular damage in SLE animal models [91]. Other in vivo studies revealed that dental pulp MSCs (DP-MSCs) and periodontal ligament MSCs (PDL-MSCs) had an immunoregulatory potential in SLE B6/LPR murine models [92]. Findings verified that both DP-MSCs and PDL-MSCs proficiently diminished proteinuria, anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), and glomerular IgG/IgM in transplanted mice [92]. Also, the frequency of Th1 and plasma cells in the spleen dwindled in transplanted groups in the absence of any moderation in Th2, Th17, Tfh, and Treg cell percentages and IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and MCP-1 serum levels, suggesting that DP-derived stem cells can restore renal glomerular defects and perivascular inflammation and may be recruited as alternative sources for SLE treatment [92]. In addition to the experimental animal models, clinical trials have provided proof of the notion that MSC therapy can exert beneficial therapeutic effects in patients with SLE by alleviating the disease progression and development in serologic scores and renal function. In this regard, a clinical trial conducted between March 2007 and November 2008 on 15 patients with active SLE evidenced the safety and significant efficacy of allogeneic MSC transplant, as presented by a reduction in SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), a validated instrument for lupus disease activity in the preceding 10 days, and a significant reduction in serum levels of ANA, concomitant with an improvement in kidney function and percentage of peripheral blood Tregs [87]. These findings imply that MSC transplantation can elicit beneficial effects in patients with SLE, refractory to conventional treatment approaches. Conversely, another clinical trial on 2 females with SLE revealed that autologous BM-MSC transplantation had no significant effect on Tregs percentage in peripheral blood of grafted patients. However, disease activity indexes were modified and no unwanted events were reported during a 14-week follow-up [93]. These observations signify the importance of conducting more trials before MSC application in clinical settings to clarify the underlying mechanism contributed to observed desired effects of MSCs in patients with SLE. Moreover, several trials have verifies the UC-MSC potential for SLE therapy. Accordingly, a study on 30 patients with refractory SLE indicated that UC-MSCs promoted Tregs and inhibited Th17 cell frequencies and activation, which were mediated by adjustment of TGF-β and PGE2 expression in lupus patients [94]. Correspondingly, another trial on 40 participants with refractory SLE revealed that UC-MSC administration was well-tolerated and had no severe transplantation-induced side effects. In addition to a reduction in SLEDAI scores, UC-MSC transplantation diminished proteinuria and attenuated serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and ANA levels [94], describing UC as a promising source to isolate MSCs and use them in SLE treatment.

MSCs in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by damage to the CNS, stimulating physical or cognitive deficits, as well as neurological dysfunctions [95]. To identify an appropriate treatment to alleviate the neurological signs and remyelination, autologous and allogeneic MSC transplantation was introduced as an operational and effective therapeutic approach. Various preclinical and clinical trainings have established that MSC transplantation can ameliorate the CNS restoration and improve functional neurological signs. For instance, human amniotic mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hAMSCs) improved the expression of neurotrophic factors that participated in promoting the survival, progression, and function of neurons in vitro. More importantly, it has been found that co-culture of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with hAMSCs supports their differentiation into functional neurons [96]. Moreover, hAMSCs suppressed MMP dysfunctions and accordingly sustained endothelial cell survival, angiogenesis, and maintenance of vascular networks [96]. Regarding the observations showing that the use of specific and broad-spectrum inhibitors for MMPs can diminish neuroinflammation and brain lesion in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., MS) [97], it seems that the inhibitory effect of the MSCs on MMPs plays a pivotal role in improving motor deficits in MS patients upon transplantation. On the other hand, in vivo investigation in a canine MS model verified the efficacy of MSC infusion leading to a better quality of life in grafted dogs, offering hopefulness for comparable encouraging outcomes in patients with MS [98]. Further, a similar report in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice, a common MS experimental models, suggested that human BM-MSC infusion improved functional recovery in transplanted models. Findings revealed that infused human BM-MSCs collected in the CNS condensed the lesion volume and finally augmented the frequency of oligodendrocyte (ODC) lineage cells in the lesion zone [99]. Furthermore, assessment of particular percentages of effector T cell subtypes in PB and their related cytokine serum levels confirmed a decrease in Th1 cells and IL-17 generating Th17 inflammatory cells and their related cytokines and conversely demonstrated an improvement in IL-4 generating Th2 cells and anti-inflammatory cytokines in transplanted models [99]. Due to the generally accepted protective role of Th2 cells in MS patients and the importance of the Th1/Th2 ratio in determining disease progression or alleviation, MSC therapy can be proposed as a rational therapeutic strategy in these patients. Moreover, a study in murine MS models supported the positive role of intravenous MSC-EV injection, such as restored motor deficits, attenuated brain atrophy, improved cell proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ), and reduced immune cells infiltration. A strong decline in serum levels of Th1- and Th17-produced cytokine approved MSC-EV-induced immunomodulation in transplanted murine models [100]; however, more comprehensive studies are required to introduce EV delivery as a potential therapeutic approach for the neurodegenerative phase of MS. Other investigations respecting the therapeutic efficacy of EV in experimental MS models evidenced that BM-MSC-EVs could improve neural behavioral scores, suppress immune cell infiltration into the CNS, and alleviate the demyelination process compared to control animals [84]. In addition, injection of EVs promoted IL-10 and TGF-β levels, though reduced serum levels of TNF-α and IL-12 [84]. These findings suggest that the polarization of microglia is another potential mechanism used by MSCs and their secretome to alleviate MS-related deficits. Furthermore, studies in EAE mice confirmed the potential of PDL-MSC secretome in hindering activation of NALP3 inflammasome and supporting maintenance from EAE [101]. Regardless of a decrease in cleaved caspase 1, IL-1β, and IL-18 levels, transplantation of MSC secretome downregulated proinflammatory toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 and NF-κB in transplanted EAE models. Analyses verified high levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10, TGF-β, and SDF-1α in the human PDL-MSC secretome [101]. Based on promising results of the MSC-based therapies in MS, several clinical trials have been conducted to address the safety and efficacy of MSCs in humans. Accordingly, the safety and feasibility of UC-MSC therapy has been supported by a study on 20 patients with MS [102]. Observations approved the absence of any severe adverse events during a 12-month follow-up following multiple MSC injections, while symptoms of rescue were significant 1 month after injection. Moreover, improvements were observed in the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunctions, average scores for non-dominant hand, distance walked over time, and general views on positive health alterations and developed quality of life [102]. Though these observations approved the safety and feasibility of IV injection in patients with MS, its potential therapeutic benefits should be further investigated. Additionally, assessment of autologous AT-MSC injection in 34 patients with MS showed the safety of stem cell transplantation in enrolled participants, but evaluation of the treatment outcomes displayed a non-significant rate of efficacy [103]. Moreover, a phase 2 clinical trial (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00395200) suggested that autologous MSC systemic injection not only was safe and feasible but also had positive therapeutic outcomes in participants with secondary progressive MS most likely mediated by induction of neuroprotection concerning the structural, functional, and physiological recovery [104]. Overall, it appears that inhibition of Th1 and Th17 activation and infiltration, promotion of Tregs, and TH2 function along with induction of neuroprotection may contribute to optimal effects elicited by MSC transplantation in patients with MS.

MSCs in Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that typically affects the terminal ileum (outer ends of the intestines) but can also target the whole gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus [105]. The CD is associated with full-thickness inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract leading to pain, discomfort, unusual bowel activities, and digestive problems. It is generally characterized by severe Th1 cell-induced inflammation of the colon partially resulting from a disrupted immune tolerance to mucosal antigens [106]. The anti-inflammatory properties of MSCs propose their potential for improving the damaging symptoms accompanying CD [107]. In vivo studies provide evidence suggesting that intralesional administration of human embryonic stem cell-derived MSCs (hESC-MSCs) could decrease serum levels of IL-2 and IL-6, two main inflammatory cytokines associated with CD, in canine models [108]. In this regard, other studies showed that IV infusion of human AT-MSCs had the potential to hinder body weight loss, diarrhea, and inflammation and raise the survival rate of experimental CD models. Findings revealed that the observed positive therapeutic effects were mediated by mitigation of Th1-driven autoimmune and inflammatory reactions along with improved Tregs population and activation [109], introducing AT-MSC as a regulator of immune tolerance and assuring cell-based therapy candidates for CD. Moreover, compartmental analysis evaluating the therapeutic potential of intraperitoneal AT-MSC and BM-MSC transplantation in a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced murine CD model revealed that both of them could improve the clinical and histopathologic severity of intestinal inflammation, leading to the augmented survival of murine CD model [110]. Additionally, transplanted cells efficiently improved IL-10 expression and decreased the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines TNF- α, IL-12, and proangiogenic factor VEGF [110]. Likewise, other examinations indicated that AT-MSC administration attenuated the disease activity index (DAI) and improved the severity of colitis in a rodent CD model. Significantly, regulation of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) proliferation, Wnt signaling pathway, and T cell immunity were suggested as the underlying mechanism of the AT-MSC-prompted therapeutic effect in the rodent CD model [111]. The crucial role of the Wnt axis has already been confirmed in murine IBD, where Roger et al. showed that injection of a Wnt agonist to STAT6 (−/−) mice induced the Wnt signaling in the damaged mucosa and accelerated wound-healing in the TNBS-induced CD model [112]. Based on the results of animal studies, several clinical trials were designed and accomplished to confirm the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of MSC therapy in CD. A survey conducted between 2007 and 2014 on 10 patients with CD showed that locally injected MSCs were safe and feasible and restored refractory patients, and regained responsiveness to the therapeutic agents formerly shown ineffective [113]. Another study displayed the allogeneic expanded AT-MSC (Cx601) administration is effective strategy for treating CD. The trial, which was carried out at 49 hospitals in seven European countries and Israel from 2012 to 2015 on 212 participants, proposed that a single intralesional injection of Cx601 resulted in the rescue of pathological symptoms in the transplanted group compared to the placebo group. However, 17% and 29% of participants in the transplanted and placebo group showed treatment-associated adverse events, most frequently anal abscess [114]. Moreover, investigating the potential of IV injection of allogeneic MSCs in 16 participants with luminal CD during a phase 2 clinical trial signified a remarkable decrease in Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) scores, which are commonly applied in clinical trials to evaluate CD activity, only 6 weeks post-transplantation. Concerning observations, 12 participants had a clinical response, 8 participants had clinical remission, and 7 of them experienced an endoscopic improvement in the absence of any severe treatment-related adverse events [115]. Overall, analyses imply that MSC administration, particularly, the cells isolated from adipose tissue, can improve the quality of life of treated CD patients after local or systemic injection mediated by suppression of acute mucosal inflammation through downregulating the secretion of a broad spectrum of mediators contributing in the local and systemic inflammatory reactions.

MSCs in acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and its milder form acute lung injury (ALI) are characterized by acute respiratory failure after multiple invasions to the pulmonary parenchyma or vasculature [116]. It has been verified that macrophages play important role in the inflammatory response in ALI/ARDS. Remarkably, they play a dual proinflammation and anti-inflammation role according to the microenvironment in various pathological phases. In the acute phase of ALI/ARDS, local alveolar macrophages, characteristically showing the M2 phenotype, shift into the M1 phenotype and eventually trigger the secretion of proinflammatory mediators [117]. In the last years, because of their multipotency and unique aptitude to release multiple paracrine factors, ranging from growth factors, factors fluctuating endothelial and epithelial permeability, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, MSCs have been introduced as a therapeutic option which can alleviate major complications underlying lung disease (e.g., ALI/ARDS), such as disrupted alveolar fluid clearance, modified pulmonary endothelial permeability, and dysregulated immune responses (Table 2) [144, 145]. Studies have exhibited that inhibition of the Hippo signaling pathway improves MSC proliferation, motility, and differentiation in vitro, supporting the theory that MSCs with downregulated Hippo signaling pathway can rescue lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS in vivo [146]. As known, the Hippo signaling pathway is conserved and modifies a variety of cellular processes, surrounding cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. In mammals, the activation of the Hippo pathway leads to the inactivation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) by large tumor suppressor 1/2 (LATS1/2)-mediated direct phosphorylation. Contrariwise, dephosphorylation of YAP results in its transport into the nucleus and its succeeding interaction with TEA/ATTS domain (TEAD), forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), and other transcription factors, and therefore can exert cell proliferation, organ growth, and stem cell self-renewal [147]. Other studies on murine LPS models demonstrated that transplantation of murine BM-MSCs with downregulated Hippo pathways led to the intensified retention of murine MSC in ARDS lung tissue and their differentiation into alveolar epithelial type II (AE2) cell as a supporter of the alveolus [120]. Moreover, injected cells supported a decline in lung wet weight to body weight ratio, the diminished total protein and albumin concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) accompanied by downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, and upregulation of anti-inflammatory mediators [120]. Concerning the elevated release of proinflammatory cytokines and also reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn, induces the activation of neutrophil-derived proteases and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) during ALI/ARDS, some investigations addressed the effect of MSCs on NET formation in LPS-induced murine models. Accordingly, transplanted MSCs were capable of survival and modifying pulmonary inflammation, reducing ROS generation, and suppressing NET formation in the experimental transplanted model [122]. Moreover, a preclinical study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of systemic infusion of BM-MSCs, AT-MSCs, and lung tissue MSCs (L-MSCs) in Wistar rats ARDS models. Regardless of their source, transplanted cells ameliorated lung function and decreased alveolar collapse, tissue cellularity, collagen, and elastic fiber content in lung tissue. Correspondingly, BM- and AT-derived MSCs attenuated the expression rate of several immune mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, CXCL1, TGF-β, and VEGF, and reduced the number of damaged and dead cells in lung and kidney. Besides, they could improve the expression of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) in lung tissue [121]. Moreover, various studies have suggested that MSC-EVs can elicit promising effects in ALI/ARDS patients. Accordingly, an assessment of the anti-influenza potential of swine MSC-EVs in vitro as well as in lung epithelial cells, and its anti-viral and immunoregulatory properties in vivo in a swine influenza virus model revealed that MSC-EVs could suppress the hemagglutination functions of avian, swine, and human influenza viruses. On the other hand, MSC-EVs obstructed the replication of influenza virus and virus-stimulated apoptosis in epithelial cells of the lung, and also intratracheal administration MSC-EVs could decrease virus shedding in the nasal swabs, attenuate proliferation of influenza virus in the lungs, and diminish virus-simulated generation of proinflammatory mediators in the lungs of transplanted pigs [119]. Similarly, systemic injection of MSC-exosomal miR-30b-3p exerted protective effects against ALI in murine models [123]. The negative relation between miR-30b-3p and TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-6, and IL-8 levels in the lung tissue and BALF in murine ALI models, as shown by Zhou et al. [148], signifies that the induced protective effects of MSC-exosomal miR-30b-3p are possibly achieved by downregulation of NF-κB and proinflammatory cytokines in experimental models. These findings are in consistent with other observations, representing the central role of miRNAs in determining the outcomes of therapeutic approaches in lung inflammatory diseases [149,150,151]. Interestingly, some studies have demonstrated that BM-MSCs could transfer mitochondria to pulmonary alveoli and support protection from acute lung injury. In this regard, Islam et al. verified the mitochondrial transfer in intact lungs in a rodent model treated with LPS. They noticed that human or murine BM-MSCs injected in murine airways could transfer mitochondria and repair mitochondrial bioenergetics in the lungs [150]. Other reports have also proposed that mitochondrial dysfunction is detected in case of prolonged inflammation, and MSCs can transfer mitochondria to alleviate inflammation, which reveals their rescue capabilities via stimulating anti-inflammatory responses [152].

Table 2 Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy for common immune-mediated lung disorders (animal studies)

On the other hand, a phase 1 clinical trial carried out between July 2013 and January 2014 on 9 participants with severe ARDS verified the safety and feasibility of a single-dose systemic injection of allogeneic BM-MSCs in transplanted patients. One patient died 1 month after transplantation and one experienced multiple embolic infarcts of the spleen, kidneys, and brain. None of these intense untoward events were supposed to be treatment-related [153].

MSCs in coronavirus disease 2019

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory and vascular disorder caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [154]. While the first human case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, recent evidence suggests that the virus may have been moderately disseminated months earlier in Italy [155]. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) proteins, which are significantly expressed on various human cells, such as alveolar type II cells (AT2), oral, esophageal, ileal epithelial cells, myocardial cells, proximal tubule cells of the kidneys, and urothelial cells of the bladder, are suggested to contribute to the SARS-CoV2 internalization [156, 157]. The COVID-19 contagion is appeared by forceful inflammatory reactions with the secretion of a massive quantity of proinflammatory cytokines, triggering cytokine storm events [158]. ICU patients with COVID-19 have exposed higher plasma levels of the inflammatory mediators, including IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), CCL2, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-α (MIP-1α), and interferon-gamma inducible protein 10 kDa (IP-10) [159]. Correspondingly, it is supposed that MSCs can modulate the cytokine storm elicited by coronavirus infection due to their unique properties in modifying the immune response and regulating immune cell infiltration and motility (Fig. 3) [160]. In this context, the first clinical trial was designed and carried out in Beijing Hospital, China, from January 23 to February 16, 2020, to evaluate whether MSC therapy can ameliorate the outcomes of 7 participants with COVID-19 pneumonia. About the observations, MSCs remarkably restored the outcomes of all transplanted participants without severe unwanted events only 2 days post-transplantation. A promotion in PB lymphocyte counts, as well as a reduction in the C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, concomitant with a reduction in cytokine-secreting immune cells, CXCR3 + CD4⁺ T cells, CXCR3 + CD8+ T cells, and CXCR3+ NK cells were found upon administration. The serological analysis also verified reduced serum levels of TNF-α simultaneously increased levels of IL-10 after transplantation [161]. These observations offered first evidence suggesting that systemic injection of MSCs is safe and effective for treating COVID-19 patients. Further, the study of possible effects of IV human UC-MSC infusion in COVID-19 patients indicated that human UC-MSC transplantation shortened time to clinical improvement in the transplanted group compared to the control group. Meanwhile, clinical symptoms of weakness, fatigue, and respiratory distress perceptibly alleviated after human UC-MSC therapy [162]. Another clinical trial in a patient with severe COVID-19 infection showed that systemic infusion of human UC-MSC alleviated the inflammation signs, as approved by assessment of laboratory indexes and computed tomography (CT) images, leading to the discharge of the patient from ICU [163]. Likewise, transplantation of human Wharton’s jelly MSCs (hWJCs) improved pulmonary function and symptoms of participants suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia 48 h post-transplantation. The immunological analysis revealed enhanced frequencies of lymphocyte subsets and diminished levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and post-transplant CRP [164]. Moreover, the safety and efficacy of allogeneic BM-MSC-derived exosomes (ExoFlo™) was evidenced for treating severe COVID-19 during a trial conducted on 24 participants within 2 weeks follow-up. In addition to verifying the safety and feasibility of the method, 71% of participants recovered, 13% remained stable, and 16% expired for causes not associated with cell transplantation, highlighting the ExoFlo potential to be considered as a capable therapeutic modality for severe COVID-19 [165].

Fig. 3

MSC-based therapy for treating COVID-19. MSC transplantation can stimulate COVID-19 rescue by affecting immune cells proliferation, differentiation, and activation, through releasing special mediators and triggering cytokine storm alleviation. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC); coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Taken together, despite encouraging results about the therapeutic potential of MSC therapy, there is no widespread evidence on its efficacy in defeating COVID-19 disorder. Though 42 clinical studies have been registered in ClinicalTrails.gov (January 2021) (Fig. 4), they are almost in phases I and II, and the therapeutic effects of MSC therapy on COVID-19 development are not yet clarified. The opportunity to use various administration routes such as inhalation and improvement of MSC immunoregulatory potential by MSC pre-treatment with hypoxia or ischemia includes many attractions for large-scale studies [166].

Fig. 4

Clinical trials in MSC therapy for COVID-19 registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (January 2021). This graph presents the distribution of MSC-based clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment based on cell source (a), study phase (b), number of participants (c), and study locations (d). Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC); coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); bone marrow (BM); adipose tissue (AT); umbilical cord (UC); Wharton’s jelly (WJ)

MSCs in osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic joint condition caused by degeneration of articular cartilage and also other joint changes, including bone hyperplasia. Given the MSC’s potential to differentiate into chondrocytes and exert immunomodulation in the target tissue, their administration has turned into the most comprehensively discovered cell-based therapy approach for osteoarthritis (Fig. 5) (Table 3) [204]. MSC is found in synovial fluid (SF) and can simply be procured by arthrocentesis or arthroscopy. In vitro, chondrogenic stimulation of SF-MSCs in collagen sponges showed the respectable potential of chondrogenic gene stimulation and ECM formation. An in vivo study on murine OA models revealed that intra-articular injection of xenogenic SF-MSCs fails to elicit chondroprotection in transplanted models [172]. However, UC-MSC injection into a rabbit model of temporomandibular joint (TMJ)-OA induced by monosodium iodoacetate led to the regenerative outcome and anti-inflammatory influences as well as high-level neuroprotection. The observed therapeutic effects were dependent on promoted expression of growth factors, ECM markers, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and conversely the lessened expression of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) [174]. Findings which support the UC-MSC potential to provoke both chondrogenesis and chondroprotection imply that they can be an effective source for OA therapy. Moreover, evaluation of intra-articular MSC infusion in murine OA models resulted in suppressed expression of A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5) in joint cartilage in transplanted models [176]. Due to the verified destructive role of ADAMTS5 in OA progression [205], scholars seek to discover novel strategies to suppress their activation in joint cartilages. Consequently, the inhibitory effect of MSCs on ADMATS5 activation evidenced the rationality of MSC-based therapies for treating cartilage disorders. Conversely, a noticeable increase in the expression of TNF-α-stimulated gene/protein 6 (TSG-6), an anti-inflammatory and cartilage protective factor, in transplanted OA models suggested that this method can stimulate neuroprotection in damaged cartilages [176]. In addition, intra-articular transplantation of BM-MSC secretome alleviated pain and cartilage damage, but not subchondral bone modifications and synovial inflammation in a murine collagenase-induced OA model [169]. It appears that using the regenerative potential of MSC secretome, it is conceivable to improve the optimization, affordability, and clinical translatability of this approach. Concerning other studies in this context, exosomes derived from miR-140-5p-overexpressing human synovial MSC (SMSC-140-Exos) can effectively treat OA. It has been supposed that SMSC-140-Exos promoted the proliferation and recruitment of articular chondrocytes (ACs) without any negative effects on ECM releases [167]. In detail, Wnt5a and Wnt5b were highly expressed in SMSC-140-Exos, which in turn led to YAP activation, as a mediator of cell proliferation. Then, YAP obstructed the expression of SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) and suppressed ECM formation, which improved the proliferation and recruitment of ACs [167]. Correspondingly, Xu et al. found that co-culture of MSCs with ACs can reshape and induce their proliferation by releasing soluble factors in vitro [206]. As ACs generate and retain substantial quantities of active and inactive BMPs [207] and are recognized to improve ECM production and trigger chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, their improved proliferation and activation by MSCs or other treatments can develop OA rescue. Similarly, there is some evidence confirming the potential of exosomes derived from miR-26a-5p overexpressing BM-MSC (BM-MSC-26a-Exos) to trigger positive therapeutic effects in a rodent OA model by targeting prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) [208] frequently detected in damaged cartilages. In this respect, other observations revealed that exosomes from human embryonic stem cell-derived MSCs (ESC-MSC-Exos) had a profitable effect on OA via augmenting collagen type II (CII) production and inhibition of ADAMTS5, providing a balance between generation and degradation of chondrocyte ECM which elicited OA restoration in vivo [209]. Also, a clinical trial conducted on 18 participants with OA evidenced the safety and efficacy of human amniotic MSCs (hAMSCs) transplantation (5 × 10⁷ cells each time). Observations demonstrated that intra-articular administration of hAMSCs reduced pain and restored knee joint function and cartilage, describing them as potential candidates for knee OA therapy [210]. Moreover, single intra-articular injection of autologous AT-MSCs in 12 patients with knee OA supported a noticeable amelioration of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, which is commonly used to assess pain, stiffness, and function in patients with OA, during a 6-month follow-up in the absence of any rigorous adverse effects [211]. Similarly, other in vivo studies demonstrated that intra-articular injection of autologous adipose AT-MSCs (1 × 10⁸ cells each time), in addition to improving WOMAC score, could diminish cartilage defects and induce a rescue in the cartilage volume in the medial femoral and tibial condyles of transplant patients, possibly mediated by hyaline-like articular cartilage restoration [212].

Fig. 5

Therapeutic potential of MSCs and their secretome for treating OA. Rendering literature, MSCs can be isolated from several sources ranging from bone marrow to endometrium and be injected into OA patients via the intra-articular route to induce encouraging outcomes. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC); osteoarthritis (OA); matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs); fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)

Table 3 Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC)-based therapy for common immune-mediated musculoskeletal disorders (animal studies)

MSCs in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder resulting from peripheral tolerance’s impairment stimulating the immune cell’s unregulated infiltration into the synovial membrane [213]. Also, the unbalanced immune reactions in proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cells, most significantly, between memory Th17 and memory regulatory T cells (Tregs) seems to play a pivotal role in RA onset and progression [214]. Now, MSC therapy has become a promising therapeutic plan for RA recovery given their immunoregulatory belongings (Table 3) [215, 216]. Meanwhile, MSCs can alter the function of memory lymphocytes such as Th17, follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, and gamma delta (γδ) T cells while supporting Treg cell production and facilitating alleviation of RA clinical symptoms [170]. A variety of in vivo studies have suggested that human BM-MSCs can improve arthritis in animal models, such as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). A recent report has signified that MSCs alleviated the severity of arthritis by reducing proinflammatory cytokine levels in association with attenuating the ratio of Th17 to Tregs cells in IL-1 receptor antagonist-deficient mice (IL-1RaKO) [170]. As Tfh cells are promoted and associated with autoantibodies in patients with OA, other investigations focused on its role in the RA progression. Accordingly, Liu et al. found that UC-MSC transplantation in CIA mice inhibited the development of arthritis by suppressing Tfh proliferation and also activation in vivo likely achieved by IDO releases [189]. Rising proofs suggest that MSCs induce antioxidant characteristics in a variety of animal disorders, which enable their cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory capabilities. However, evolving approaches to improve their therapeutic effect are of paramount importance. In this context, a study revealed that combined use of human MSCs with hesperidin, a natural compound with antioxidant activity, could ameliorate oxidative stress and intensify MSC immunosuppressive function through targeting IL-9 expression and serum levels in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) of a murine OA model [171]. The significance of the IL-9 in RA depends on its potential to sustain the survival of neutrophils, increase MMP expression and activation, and assist Th17 cell differentiation supported by induction of transcription factor RORγt and STAT3 phosphorylation [217]. On the other hand, MSC-derived miR-150-5p exosomes (Exo-150) could suppress the migration of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), which play a crucial role in RA pathogenesis, and diminish tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) through targeting matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vitro [175]. In a murine CIA model, Exo-150 infusion improved clinical arthritic scores likely by suppressing synoviocyte hyperplasia, delivering the first proof of therapeutic efficacy of exosome therapy for RA [175]. Similarly, MSC-derived miR-192-5p exosomes (Exo-192) could delay the onset of the inflammatory response through targeting Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 (RAC2) in experimental models [218]. Rendering the findings by Dey et al. that interaction between RAC2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) may provoke NO upregulation and consequently initiate chronic inflammation in the RA synovium, application of therapeutic strategies focusing on RAC2 inhibition can exert beneficial effects in RA patients [219]. Another preclinical study suggested that MSC-derived exosomes with overexpressed miR-146a, a well-known miRNA involved in regulation of immune response, improved FoxP3, TGF-β, and IL-10 gene expression in murine CIA models, proposing their potential for treating RA through enhancing Treg cell populations and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels [220]. According to the promising results based on MSC therapy for RA in animal models, several clinical trials have been accomplished to report the safety and efficacy of these cell transplantation in human models. For instance, a phase I, uncontrolled, open-label trial on 9 participants showed that infusion of 1 × 10⁸ UC-MSCs decreased levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α without any serious adverse events post-transplantation [221]. Besides, a phase Ib/IIa clinical trial revealed that systemic injection of expanded Cx611 allogeneic adipose-derived stem cells was safe and well-tolerated in 43 patients with refractory RA [222]. Likewise, intra-articular knee injection of autologous BM-MSCs in 15 RA participants improved WOMAC score and supported its potential efficacy in transplant patients during a 12-month follow-up [223].

In sum, these findings justify the necessity for large-scale studies over a prolonged evaluation period before utilizing MSCs in the clinical setting to restore RA.

Conclusion and prospect

As mentioned, given their unique attributes, such as differentiation into a wide spectrum of adult cell lineages, immunomodulatory competence along with lower ethical concerns and secretion of angiogenic factors, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have attracted growing attention worldwide to restore immune-mediated disorders (e.g., GVHD, MS, COVID-19, and OA). The underlying mechanism contributing to MSC immunomodulation has not entirely been elucidated, while it seems that cell-cell contact in association with trophic factors ranging from cytokine to growth factors play pivotal roles in this process. In addition to animal studies, various clinical trials have also evidenced the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of administration of MSCs and their secretome in immunological disorders. Nonetheless, their promising effect on human clinical outcomes has not yet been reliably realized. Moreover, the oncogenic potential of uncontrolled MSC differentiation needs to be further investigated, as some studies have shown that human AT-MSC experience spontaneous transformation following prolonged expansion by consecutive c-Myc upregulation and p16 downregulation [224]. In this regard, another report revealed that in vitro expansion of human BM-MSCs produced a subpopulation of cells with improved telomerase functions, chromosomal aneuploidy, and translocations, capable of developing tumors in multiple organs in NOD/SCID mice [224]. Moreover, large-scale studies are required to extend knowledge about recruiting MSCs to improve their migration and homing following transplantation. Additionally, identifying MSC secretome, as a cell-free alternative that exerts inherently advantageous therapeutic effects, delivers a new paradigm for their application in regenerative medicine. Exosomes uphold the therapeutic merits of their origin cells in the absence of revealing concerns such as possible tumorigenesis and unwanted mutation in MSC [225]. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of MSC exosomes may be developed through genetically modified MSC exosomes to express special ligands that direct them toward a target tissue and transfer genes and other molecules directly to the target area as a gene delivery system.

Taken together, it is supposed that enrichment of the MSC culture, choosing appropriate induction factors, and finding novel strategies to promote MSCs homing post-transplantation accompanied by optimization of MSC delivery dose and route in various diseases can elicit optimal therapeutic outcomes in patients with immune-mediated/immune-dysregulating diseases.