Review of Caplan (1991) on cell-based therapeutic technology using Mesenchymal Stem Cells

This classic discusses the original 1991 publication 'Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)' by Dr. Caplan on the emergence of a new therapeutic technology of self-cell repair using MSCs. After the original classic publication, a large number of methods to regenerate injured tissue have been reported. Currently, MSCs are used clinically to repair articular cartilage defects, liver cirrhosis, cerebral infarction, spinal cord injury, graft-versus-host disease and others. As a result, MSCs are considered one of the most important cell sources for regenerative medicine. An MSC has been demonstrated to be a multipotent stem cell in cell culture and was thought to contribute to the regeneration of injured tissue at transplant sites, but recently, the concept of MSCs has changed such that they are now referred to as "medicinal signaling cells," owing to their often indirect effects on tissue repair and regeneration. Regardless of the name, either mesenchymal stem cells or medicinal signaling cells, MSCs will be used to regenerate injured tissue more widely in the near future.