This book investigates the current state of the MSC-dependent therapy of chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. Among the covered topics are GvHD, chronic kidney, liver and lung disease, ischemic heart and inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, various rheumatic and neurological disorders, tumors and solid organ transplantations.

Gerhard Gross, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Thomas Häupl, Charité, Berlin, Germany.

1;Preface;5 2;Contributing authors;7 3;1 Mesenchymal stem cells in the context of stem cell biology;19 3.1;1.1 Introduction - Definitions;19 3.2;1.2 Embryonic and adult tissue stem cells;20 3.3;1.3 Adult tissue stem cells and progenitors;21 3.4;1.4 Adult stem cells and tissue homeostasis;23 3.5;1.5 Adult stem cell niches;23 3.6;1.6 Commitment and differentiation;25 3.7;1.7 The case for bone marrow MSCs;26 3.8;1.8 Clinical prospects;28 3.9;1.9 Concluding remark;29 3.10;References;29 4;2 Are mesenchymal stem cells immune privileged?;35 4.1;2.1 Introduction - Definition of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs);35 4.2;2.2 The immunosuppressive effect of MSCs on immune cells;36 4.3;2.3 The potential clinical benefits of MSCs as immunosuppressants;38 4.4;2.4 The mechanisms of immunosuppression by MSCs;39 4.5;2.5 The mechanisms of immunosuppression by human MSCs;39 4.6;2.6 Immunosuppression by murine MSCs and the species difference underlying the mechanisms of immunosuppression by MSCs;43 4.7;2.7 Immunosuppression mediated by fibroblasts;46 4.8;2.8 The mechanisms of the immunosuppressive effect of MSCs are shared with other nonstromal cells;46 4.9;2.9 How long can MSCs survive in vivo?;46 4.10;2.10 Conclusion and discussion;47 4.11;References;49 5;3 Mesenchymal stem cell therapies for autoimmune diseases;55 5.1;3.1 Introduction;55 5.2;3.2 Autoimmune disease;57 5.3;3.3 Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs);59 5.3.1;3.3.1 Animal models;60 5.4;3.4 Results of MSCs clinical trials;62 5.5;3.5 Safety of MSCs;63 5.6;3.6 Conclusion;63 5.7;References;64 6;4 Mesenchymal stem cells in osteoarthritis and rheumatic disease;69 6.1;4.1 Introduction - Rheumatic diseases;69 6.2;4.2 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA);69 6.3;4.3 Osteoarthritis (OA);71 6.4;4.4 MSCs in healthy and rheumatic joint tissues;73 6.5;4.5 Application of MSCs in rheumatic diseases;74 6.6;4.6 MSCs application in animals;78 6.7;4.7 Clinical studies in humans;84 6.8;4.8 Risks and benefits of MSCs treatments in rheumatic diseases;86 6.9;References;88 7;5 Mesenchymal stem cells in enthesis formation and repair;101 7.1;5.1 Introduction;101 7.2;5.2 Structure of the tendon-to-bone junction;102 7.3;5.3 Enthesis resident T cells are involved in enthesopathies provoking inflammation and bone remodeling;103 7.4;5.4 Biomaterials and growth factor-dependent regeneration of tendon-to-bone junctions;105 7.5;5.5 Biomechanical stimulation for enthesis repair;106 7.6;5.6 Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs);106 7.7;5.7 Stem cell-dependent approaches for repair of osteotendinous junctions;107 7.8;5.8 Stem cell-dependent delivery of growth factors;109 7.9;5.9 Stem cell-dependent delivery of tenogenic transcription factors;111 7.10;5.10 Stem cell-dependent delivery of matrix metalloproteinases;112 7.11;5.11 Trophic activities of MSCs in enthesis repair;112 7.12;5.12 Outlook;113 7.13;Acknowledgment;114 7.14;References;114 8;6 Mesenchymal stem cells for clinical/therapeutic interventions of graft-versus-host disease;119 8.1;6.1 Clinical graft-versus-host disease;119 8.2;6.2 Chronic graft-versus-host disease;120 8.3;6.3 Rationale to use mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of GvHD;121 8.4;6.4 Experience of MSCs in clinical acute graft-versus-host disease;123 8.5;6.5 Treatment of acute GvHD with stromal cells from alternate sources, adipose tissue-derived, umbilical cord blood-derived or fetal membrane-derived stromal cells;128 8.6;6.6 Mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease;129 8.7;6.7 Clinical trials of prophylaxis with mesenchymal stromal cells for graft-versus-host disease;131 8.8;6.8 Discussion on clinical use of mesenchymal stem cells;133 8.9;6.9 How should we best utilize MSC treatment of GvHD?;134 8.10;References;137 9;7 Mesenchymal stem cells for graft-versus-host disease in experimental animal models;143 9.1;7.1 Introduction - Experimental models of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD);143 9.2;7.2 Immunobiology of experimental GvHD;145 9.3;7.3 Mesenchymal stromal cells in mice;146 9.4;7.4 Me