Category 3

Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem-Cell Biology

9 topics planned. Each topic is published as a Professional and Patient edition only after explicit author approval.

3.1History of MSC research
In review
1. · Discovery in bone marrow
2. · Colony-forming fibroblasts
3. · Evolution of MSC terminology
4. · Expansion into multiple tissue sources
3.2“Stromal” versus “stem”
In review
1. · Scientific basis for each term
2. · Limitations of the “stem-cell” label
3. · Functional proof of stemness
4. · Marketing misuse of terminology
3.3Minimal characterization criteria
In review
1. · Plastic adherence
2. · CD73 expression
3. · CD90 expression
4. · CD105 expression
5. · Exclusion markers
6. · In-vitro trilineage differentiation
7. · Limitations of minimal criteria
3.4MSC heterogeneity
In review
1. · Donor variability
2. · Tissue-source variability
3. · Colony-to-colony differences
4. · Passage-related changes
5. · Culture-medium effects
6. · Manufacturing-site effects
3.5Proposed biological functions
In review
1. · Stromal support
2. · Immunomodulation
3. · Paracrine signaling
4. · Angiogenic signaling
5. · Antifibrotic activity
6. · Cytoprotection
7. · Extracellular-matrix remodeling
3.6MSC interactions with immunity
In review
1. · T lymphocytes
2. · B lymphocytes
3. · Natural-killer cells
4. · Dendritic cells
5. · Macrophages
6. · Neutrophils
7. · Complement
3.7MSC fate after administration
In review
1. · Pulmonary first-pass effect
2. · Biodistribution
3. · Survival
4. · Apoptosis
5. · Phagocytosis
6. · Engraftment
7. · Clearance
8. · Implications for mechanism of action
3.8Autologous versus allogeneic MSCs
In review
1. · Availability
2. · Donor health
3. · Manufacturing time
4. · Immune compatibility
5. · Alloimmunization
6. · Batch consistency
7. · Scalability
8. · Cost
3.9MSC potency
In review
1. · Potency versus viability
2. · Immunomodulatory assays
3. · Angiogenic assays
4. · Secretome assays
5. · Matrix-remodeling assays
6. · Disease-specific potency assays
7. · Challenges in defining release criteria