Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMMSCs)

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) are hierarchical postnatal stem/progenitor cells capable of self-renewing and differentiating into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and neural cells . BMMSCs express a unique surface molecule profile, including expression of STRO-1, CD29, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146, Octamer-4 (Oct4), and stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA4). It is generally believed that BMMSCs are negative for hematopoietic cell markers such as CD14 and CD34. BMMSCs have been widely used for tissue engineering. Recently, a growing body of evidence has indicated that BMMSCs produce a variety of cytokines and display profound immunomodulatory properties, perhaps by inhibiting the proliferation and function of several major immune cells, such as natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and T and B lymphocytes. These unique properties make BMMSCs of great interest for clinical applications in the treatment of different immune disorders.