Therapeutic action of bone marrow-derived stem cells against acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent clinical disease with a high morbidity rate and mortality rate, while the treatment options for this intractable disease are limited currently. In recent years, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been demonstrated to hold an effect therapeutic action against AKI by scientists gradually, and the cells are capable to localize to renal compartments and contribute to kidney regeneration though differentiation or paracrine action. Especially, the advantages of BMSCs, such as low toxicity and side effect as well as autologous transplantation, endue the cell with a promising potential in clinical therapy against AKI. In this review, we mainly provide a concise overview of the application of BMSCs in the treatment of AKI, and summarize a series of published data regarding the mechanisms and optimizations of the BMSC-based therapy in renal repair after AKI. Even though some critical points about the BMSC-based therapy model still need clarification, we hope to develop more reliable pharmacological or biotechnical strategies utilizing the stem cell for the eventual treatment of humans with AKI, based on these studies and the understanding of mechanism of renal protection by BMSCs.