Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Previous research has indicated that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells had immunological regulation and hematopoiesis role. There were significant differences in immunological regulation and hemopoietic function between patients with aplastic anemia and normal cases.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the in vitro biological characteristics and its immune regulation defects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from patients with aplastic anemia.

METHODS: A computer-based online search was conducted in PUMMED (1987-2009) and VIP database (1989-2009) with the key words of “mesenchymal stem cell, bone marrow” in both Chinese and English. There were 55 articles in total. Articles which were related to biological characteristics and its immune regulation defects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were included; however, duplicated articles were excluded. Finally, 32 articles were included, containing 3 reviews in English, 23 original articles in English, and 6 original articles in Chinese.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells had the capacities of high proliferation, self-renewal and multilineage differentiation; in addition they had the roles of supporting hematopoiesis, promoting implantation and hematopoietic reconstitution in vivo. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells still had the effects of negative immune regulation and reducing the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Aplastic anemia correlated with hematopoietic stem cells in the pathogenesis of intrinsic defects in the proliferation or differentiation of hematopoietic microenvironment and immune system abnormalities and other related disorders. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells of patients with aplastic anemia played an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.