Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: an Antimicrobial and Host-Directed Therapy for Complex Infectious Diseases

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Immunology
• Infectious diseases

Background:

• There is a critical need for novel antimicrobial strategies to combat complex infections and emerging pathogens.
• Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess inherent antimicrobial properties and modulate host immunity.
• Extensive in vivo research supports MSCs' therapeutic potential in various infectious disease models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the antimicrobial properties and therapeutic applications of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).
• To summarize findings from in vivo studies and clinical trials investigating MSCs for infectious diseases.
• To highlight the potential of MSCs as an adjunct therapy for resistant and complex infections.

Main Methods:

• Review of over 30 in vivo studies involving human and animal MSCs in infection models.
• Analysis of mechanistic studies detailing MSCs' bactericidal and immunomodulatory activities.
• Examination of data from over 80 clinical trials assessing MSC safety and efficacy in infectious diseases.

Main Results:

• MSCs exhibit potent antimicrobial effects against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
• Preconditioning can enhance the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory functions of MSCs.
• Clinical trials consistently demonstrate MSC safety and tolerability, with emerging efficacy signals for certain infections.

Conclusions:

• MSCs show significant potential as an adjunct therapy for complex and drug-resistant infections.
• Further development is needed to standardize MSC production for clinical use.
• MSCs represent a promising frontier in antimicrobial and regenerative medicine.