Mesenchymal stem cell in immunomodulation of dendritic cells: Implications for inflammatory bowel disease therapy

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a highly prevalent and recurrent autoimmune disorder characterized by dysregulation of the immune system leading to intestinal inflammation. Currently, available clinical treatments, such as mesalazine, are mainly used to alleviate symptoms but do not cure the disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as an emerging therapeutic tool, show potential in IBD through immunomodulatory effects, but their specific mechanisms need further exploration. Dendritic cells (DCs) are important antigen-presenting cells that play a key role in the immune response in IBD, although their specific mechanism of action remains largely uncovered. This review focuses on discussing MSCs and their derived exosomes in the modulation of DC in IBD, providing insight into the therapeutic potentials of MSCs in IBD.