Treatment of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease is demanding and burdened with a high percentage of failures, which forces clinicians to search for new, more effective therapeutic options. One of these options is the use of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in local administration. Due to their multipotentiality and complex mechanism of action, stem cells are the promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment-refractory complex perianal fistulas - demonstrating both high efficacy and a favorable safety profile. The paper presents current knowledge on the mechanisms of action and manner of administration of mesenchymal stem cells, as well as the effectiveness and safety of their use in the treatment of perianal Crohn's disease based on available literature.
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; inflammatory bowel disease; mesenchymal stem cells; perianal fistula; treatment.