The role of stem cell therapy in multiple sclerosis: An overview of the current status of the clinical studies

Rokhsareh Meamar¹, Shahrzad Nematollahi², Leila Dehghani¹, Omid Mirmosayyeb³, Vahid Shayegannejad⁴, Keivan Basiri⁴, Amir Pouya Tanhaei^3
1 Department of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch, Tehran; Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Al Zahra Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
² PhD Candidate in Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
³ Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Al Zahra Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
⁴ Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Al Zahra Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran; Department of Neurology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Amir Pouya Tanhaei
Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan
Iran

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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Read associated Notice of Retraction: Retraction: The Role of Stem Cell Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: An Overview of the Current Status of the Clinical Studies with this article

DOI: 10.4103/2277-9175.178791

The complexity of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the incompetence of a large number of promised treatments for MS urge us to plan new and more effective therapeutic approaches that aim to suppress ongoing autoimmune responses and induction of local endogenous regeneration. Emerging data propose that hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and neural stem cells have the potential to restore self-tolerance, provide in situ immunomodulation and neuroprotection, as well as promote regeneration. Thus, in this article, we will first provide an overview of the cell sources for proposed mechanisms that contribute to the beneficial effects of stem cell transplantation, the ideal route and/or timing of stem cell-based therapies for each main stem cell group, and finally, an overview of the current status of stem cell research in clinical trial stages in MS by comparable and healthy therapeutic effects of different stem cell therapies for MS patients.

Keywords: Cell therapy and transplantation, clinical trial, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, multiple sclerosis, neural stem/precursor cells, stem cells

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