Open AccessEfficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies
Author(s) -
Jiannan Li,
Wei Li,
Lanqing Cao,
Ning Liu,
Kai Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
world journal of gastrointestinal oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1948-5204
DOI - 10.4251/wjgo.v12.i4.365
Subject(s) - mesenchymal stem cell , medicine , homing (biology) , cancer research , colorectal cancer , immune system , pancreatic cancer , cancer , stem cell , cancer stem cell , gastrointestinal cancer , immunology , pathology , biology , ecology , genetics
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are a kind of stem cell, possess an immune privileged nature, tumour homing features, and multi-lineage differentiation ability. MSCs have been studied in many fields, such as tissue engineering, nervous system diseases, and cancer treatment. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have focused on the effects of MSCs on various kinds of tumours. However, the concrete anticancer efficacy of MSCs is still controversial. Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are the major causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The interactions of MSCs and GI cancer cells in specific conditions have attracted increasing attention. In this review, we introduce the characteristics of MSCs and analyse the effects of MSCs on GI malignancies, including gastric cancer, hepatoma, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. In addition, we also provide our perspectives on why MSCs may play different roles in GI malignancies and further research directions to increase the treatment efficacy of MSCs on GI malignancies.