Immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells: a review based on an interdisciplinary meeting held at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, London, UK, 31 October 2005

Alan Tyndall¹ , Ulrich A Walker¹ , Andrew Cope² , Francesco Dazzi³ , Cosimo De Bari² , Willem Fibbe⁴ , Serena Guiducci⁵ , Simon Jones³ , Christian Jorgensen⁶ , Katarina Le Blanc⁷ , Frank Luyten⁸ , Dennis McGonagle⁹ , Ivan Martin¹ , Chiara Bocelli-Tyndall¹ , Giuseppina Pennesi¹⁰ , Vito Pistoia¹¹ , Constantino Pitzalis² , Antonio Uccelli¹² , Nico Wulffraat¹³ and Marc Feldmann²

¹Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, Felix Platter Spital, Burgfelderstrasse 101, Basel, CH-4012, Switzerland

²Medicine, DIIID, Rheumatology, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

³Stem Cell Biology, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, ARC Building, 1 Aspenlea Road, London, W6 8LH, UK

⁴Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Building 1, E3-Q, Leiden, 2300 RC, The Netherlands

⁵Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni, 85, Florence, I-50134, Italy

⁶Service d'Immuno-Rhumatologie, Lapeyronie University Hospital, 371, av. du Doyen Gaston Giraud, Montpellier, F – 34295, France

⁷Division of Clinical Immunology, Karolinska Institute, CMB, Box 285, Stockholm, SE-171 77, Sweden

⁸Rheumatology Section, Leuven University Medical Centre, Herestraat 49, bus 813, Leuven, B – 3000, Belgium

⁹Molecular Medicine Unit, Rheumatology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

¹⁰Neuroimmunologia, University of Genova, Via L.B. Alberti, 4, Genova, I-16132, Italy

¹¹Laboratorio Scientifico di Oncologia, G. Gaslini Scientific Institute, Largo Gerolamo Gaslini, 5, Genova, I-16147, Italy

¹²Department di Neuroscienze, University of Genova, Via L.B. Alberti, 4, Genova, I-16132, Italy

¹³Department of Pediatric Immunolgy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Room KC03.063.0, Utrecht, NL-3508 AB, The Netherlands

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Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007, 9:301doi:10.1186/ar2103


Published:	29 January 2007

Abstract

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from bone marrow and other sites are currently being studied to determine their potential role in the pathogenesis and/or management of autoimmune diseases. In vitro studies have shown that they exhibit a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on T and B lymphocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells and various B cell tumour lines – an effect that is both cell contact and soluble factor dependent. Animal models of autoimmune disease treated with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells have mostly exhibited a positive clinical response, as have a limited number of patients suffering from acute graft versus host disease. This review summarizes the findings of a 1-day meeting devoted to the subject with the aim of coordinating efforts.