Deepening a Simple Question: Can MSCs Be Used to Treat Cancer?

In cancer, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been considered as vehicles for targeted delivery of drugs due to their inherent tropism toward primary and metastatic tumors. However, it is still unclear whether MSCs could be therapeutically explored without significant harm, since a great amo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anticancer research 2017-09, Vol.37 (9), p.4747-4758
Main Authors: Gomes, Juliana P A, Assoni, Amanda F, Pelatti, Mayra, Coatti, Giuliana, Okamoto, Oswaldo Keith, Zatz, Mayana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antineoplastic Agents
Disease Models, Animal
Humans
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology
Neoplasms - immunology
Neoplasms - therapy
Tumor Microenvironment
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Summary:In cancer, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been considered as vehicles for targeted delivery of drugs due to their inherent tropism toward primary and metastatic tumors. However, it is still unclear whether MSCs could be therapeutically explored without significant harm, since a great amound of evidence indicates that MSCs are able to exert both tumor-suppressive and pro-oncogenic effects. Here, we discuss how MSCs might adopt a pro- or anti-inflammatory profile in response to changes within the tumor microenvironment and how these features may lead to opposite outcomes in tumor development. Additionally, we address how differences in experimental design might impact interpretation and consistency of the current literature in this specific field. Finally, we point-out critical issues to be addressed at a pre-clinical stage, regarding safety and therapeutic effectiveness of MSCs application in cancer treatment.
ISSN:0250-7005
1791-7530
DOI:10.21873/anticanres.11881