Altered metabolism for neuroprotection provided by mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells which have become popular research targets for their use in cellular therapy for tissue repair. While recent advancements in research have shown the MSCs have immunomodulatory functions which are altered in response to host inflammatory molecules, how these stimuli produce different functional outcomes is not understood. Here, we evaluate research examining how the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) affects the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs by altering their metabolism. This study indicates that IFN-γ causes an increase in glycolytic activity and uncoupling of glycolysis to tricarboxylic acid cycle and hence, the glycolytic metabolites and intermediates can be funneled toward the production of anti-inflammatory modulators indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase and PGE2. A complete understanding of how MSCs' cellular metabolism affects their function is necessary for their employment in cellular therapy, as MSCs have been demonstrated to have pro- and anti-inflammatory functions. These findings are a large step forward in the understanding of the regulation of MSCs and toward their eventual use in cellular therapy, specifically for stroke recovery, in which MSCs have been shown to have powerful neuroprotective and neurogenerative effects.