Double-edged sword of mesenchymal stem cells: cancer-promoting VS therapeutic potentials

Summary

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adipose tissue, bone marrow, cord blood, and other tissues, have recently attracted much attention as potential therapeutic agents in various diseases due to their trans-differentiation capacity. However, recent studies suggested that MSCs also appear to contribute tumor pathogenesis by supporting tumor microenvironments, increasing tumor growth, and eliciting anti-tumor immune responses. While some studies suggest that MSCs have the inhibitory effects on tumor development, they are overwhelmed by a member of researches that MSCs exert stimulatory effects on tumor pathogenesis. In this review article, we summarized a number of findings to provide current information about their therapeutic potential in various diseases; we then discussed the potential roles of MSCs in tumor progression.

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