An updated review of adipose derived-mesenchymal stem cells and their applications in musculoskeletal disorders

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) represent a new therapeutic strategy in biomedicine with many potential applications, especially in musculoskeletal disorders. Preclinical and clinical studies based on the administration of ASCs support their efficacy in bone regeneration, joint repair, tendon injury and skeletal muscle alterations. Many of these novel treatments may improve patients’ quality of life and prognosis. However, several concerns about the use of stem cells remain unsolved, particularly regarding their safety and side effects. The present work aims to review the nature, clinical trials and patents involving the use of ASCs in musculoskeletal disorders.

Area covered: In this article, we describe ASCs’ isolation, culture and differentiation in vivo and in vitro, advances on ASCs’ applications in bone, cartilage, muscle and tendon repair, and patents involving the use of ASCs.

Expert opinion: The use of ASCs in musculoskeletal disorders presents significant therapeutic advantages, including limited autoimmune response, potential cell expansion ex vivo, high plasticity to differentiate into several mesodermal cell lineages, and additional effects of therapeutic interest such as secretion of neurotrophic factors and anti-inflammatory properties. For these reasons, ASCs are promising therapeutic agents for clinical applications in musculoskeletal disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Mesenchymal stem cells
• muscle
• bone
• cartilage
• musculoskeletal disorders
• clinical trials
• patents

Article highlights

• ASCs represent a promising therapeutic strategy for musculoskeletal disorders.

• ASCs present many advantages, including efficient isolation, high differentiability, low immunogenicity and anti-inflammatory activity.

• ASCs have been successfully applied in bone disorders such as osteoporosis, osteonecrosis and fractures.

• ASCs have been successfully applied in cartilage disorders, including osteoarthritis, epicondylosis and cartilage lesions.

• ASCs have been successfully applied in muscle disorders and tendinopathies, such as Dupuytren’s disease, Werdnig-Hoffmann syndrome and myocardial ischemia.

• The increasing number of Phase I and II clinical trials and patents ensure current and future clinical relevance of ASCs.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.