Inserm, U844, Montpellier, F-34091 France.
Stem Cell Res Ther. 2011 Mar 18;2(2):14. doi: 10.1186/scrt55.
Growing knowledge on the biology of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has provided new insights into their potential clinical applications, particularly for rheumatologic disorders. Historically, their potential to differentiate into cells of the bone and cartilage lineages has led to a variety of experimental strategies to investigate whether MSCs can be used for tissue engineering approaches. Beyond this potential, MSCs also display immunosuppressive properties, which have prompted research on their capacity to suppress local inflammation and tissue damage in a variety of inflammatory autoimmune diseases and, in particular, in rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, an emerging field of research comes from the possibility that these cells, through their trophic/regenerative potential, may also influence the course of chronic degenerative disorders and prevent cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. This review focuses on these advances, specifically on the biological properties of MSCs, including their immunoregulatory characteristics, differentiation capacity and trophic potential, as well as the relevance of MSC-based therapies for rheumatic diseases.
对间充质干细胞（MSCs）生物学的研究不断深入，为其在风湿性疾病等领域的临床应用提供了新的见解。从历史上看，MSCs 具有分化为骨和软骨谱系细胞的潜力，这促使人们采用了多种实验策略来研究 MSCs 是否可用于组织工程方法。除了这种潜力之外，MSCs 还具有免疫抑制特性，这促使人们研究其在多种炎症性自身免疫性疾病（尤其是类风湿关节炎）中抑制局部炎症和组织损伤的能力。目前，一个新兴的研究领域是基于这样一种可能性，即这些细胞通过其营养/再生潜能，也可能影响慢性退行性疾病的进程，并防止骨关节炎中的软骨降解。本综述重点介绍了这些进展，特别是 MSCs 的生物学特性，包括其免疫调节特性、分化能力和营养潜能，以及基于 MSC 的治疗方法在风湿性疾病中的相关性。
