Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Biological Characteristics and Potential Clinical Applications for Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can be expanded and manipulated ex vivo. These cells demonstrated three biological characteristics that qualify them for the use in cellular therapy: (1) potential of differentiation, (2) secretion of trophic factors and (3) immunoregulatory properties. The bone marrow (BM) has been considered as the traditional source of MSCs and much knowledge for potential clinical applications has been obtained from studies using MSCs derived from adult bone marrow. MSCs need to be expanded in vitro for the purpose of cell therapy. However, sometimes, the culture expansion could generate cytogenetic and molecular alterations. Accumulation of these alterations during many passages of culture could lead to malignant cell transformation. So, it is important to perform a rigorous control using different methods to test the safety and efficacy of MSCs for cell therapies. BM-MSCs have potential clinical applications in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as an adjuvant cellular therapy. This chapter reviews the advances in the study of MSCs and the potential clinical applications of MSCs in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We also describe the importance of statistical methods to aid the analysis of the efficacy and safety for the clinical use of MSCs for HSCT