Senescent Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Functional Alterations, Molecular Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies

Xiaofang Chen; Ningyu Li; Jianyu Weng; Xin Du

doi:10.3389/fcell.2020.617466

Senescent Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Functional Alterations, Molecular Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Feb 11:8:617466. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.617466. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Xiaofang Chen¹, Ningyu Li^{1

2}, Jianyu Weng^{1

2}, Xin Du^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
² School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of clonal hematopoietic disorders related to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell dysfunction. However, therapies that are currently used to target hematopoietic stem cells are not effective. These therapies are able to slow the evolution toward acute myeloid leukemia but cannot eradicate the disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified as one of the main cellular components of the bone marrow microenvironment, which plays an indispensable role in normal hematopoiesis. When functional and regenerative capacities of aging MSCs are diminished, some enter replicative senescence, which promotes inflammation and disease progression. Recent studies that investigated the contribution of bone marrow microenvironment and MSCs to the initiation and progression of the disease have offered new insights into the MDS. This review presents the latest updates on the role of MSCs in the MDS and discusses potential targets for the treatment of MDS.

Keywords: bone marrow microenvironment; mesenchymal stem cells; myelodysplastic syndrome; senescence; treatment.

Publication types

Review