Mesenchymal stromal cells derived from various tissues: Biological, clinical and cryopreservation aspects: Update from 2015 review

Leah A Marquez-Curtis; Janet A W Elliott

doi:10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104856

Mesenchymal stromal cells derived from various tissues: Biological, clinical and cryopreservation aspects: Update from 2015 review

Cryobiology. 2024 Feb 8:115:104856. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104856. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Leah A Marquez-Curtis¹, Janet A W Elliott²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 1H9; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 1C9.
² Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 1H9; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 1C9. Electronic address: janet.elliott@ualberta.ca.

PMID: 38340887
DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104856

Abstract

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have become one of the most investigated and applied cells for cellular therapy and regenerative medicine. In this update of our review published in 2015, we show that studies continue to abound regarding the characterization of MSCs to distinguish them from other similar cell types, the discovery of new tissue sources of MSCs, and the confirmation of their properties and functions that render them suitable as a therapeutic. Because cryopreservation is widely recognized as the only technology that would enable the on-demand availability of MSCs, here we show that although the traditional method of cryopreserving cells by slow cooling in the presence of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (Me₂SO) continues to be used by many, several novel MSC cryopreservation approaches have emerged. As in our previous review, we conclude from these recent reports that viable and functional MSCs from diverse tissues can be recovered after cryopreservation using a variety of cryoprotectants, freezing protocols, storage temperatures, and periods of storage. We also show that for logistical reasons there are now more studies devoted to the cryopreservation of tissues from which MSCs are derived. A new topic included in this review covers the application in COVID-19 of MSCs arising from their immunomodulatory and antiviral properties. Due to the inherent heterogeneity in MSC populations from different sources there is still no standardized procedure for their isolation, identification, functional characterization, cryopreservation, and route of administration, and not likely to be a "one-size-fits-all" approach in their applications in cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine.

Keywords: Adult stem cell; COVID-19; Cell therapy; MSC; MSC biology; MSC clinical applications; Regenerative medicine.

Publication types

Review