When most people hear the word transplant, they usually think of organ transplants. But our cells can also be transplanted. And even more specifically, stem cells.
Transplant therapy has been used for decades in patients who suffer from traumas and disorders that affect their organ health. Stem cell therapy has helped cancer patients replenish their bone marrow and enhance their immune system. Recently, stem cell transplants have shown benefits expanding beyond their initial uses to potentially support a wide range of medical conditions.
Here, we explore the science behind stem cell transplantation, how it differs from other transplants, and the exciting possibilities it offers for the future of medicine.
What is transplantation therapy?
Transplantation is when damaged or dying tissues are replaced with newer, healthy cells. There are two types of transplants: whole organ and stem cell. When talking about transplants, most people think of whole organ transplants that are donated from another person—for example, replacing a heart damaged by cardiomyopathy (which causes the heart muscles to fail and decreases its ability to pump blood throughout the body), with a younger, stronger heart. There are also liver, skin, pancreas, lung, uterus, bone, ligament, tendon and cornea transplants.1
Historically, stem cell transplants have been used to treat blood-related diseases. The process involves taking replacing stem cells from damaged bone marrow and transplanting them into the bloodstream. The process aims to replace and repair cells damaged by disease or treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.2
Some tissues can be donated from living people- for example, one kidney, part of the liver, the uterus, gestational tissues (left over after birth), and stem cells. However, due to the importance of most of our organs for daily function and survival, the majority of whole organ donations come from generous, recently deceased people who have healthy organs to give.
Transplant vs. infusion
The terminology between transplant and infusion can be confusing because while they may seem the same, they are different processes.
An infusion is when stem cells are injected into your bloodstream through intravenous (IV) therapy. These tend to be less specific as cells move around the body through the bloodstream to reach target areas.3
Transplants are a more targeted approach where stem cells are either injected directly or surgically placed into specific target areas, like bone marrow or damaged tissue. Often, the cells go through a more extensive preparation process to ensure they’ll be taken to the specific cells they’re repairing or replacing.4
There are two types of stem cell transplants:
- Autologous transplants use cells that come from the patient’s own body
- Allogenic transplants are those that use stem cells from a donor.
Stem cells are gaining popularity for different types of healing because they can transform into any other kind of cell, are anti-inflammatory, and don’t trigger an immune response. There are many different kinds of stem cells, but mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) appear to be some of the most beneficial due to their unique qualities.
What are UC-MSCs
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a powerful source of regenerating cells. They have the ability to transform into different cell types like bone, cartilage, and fat – a quality referred to as “multipotent”. They can also self-renew, ensuring a steady supply of cells over time which is hugely beneficial in regenerative medicine. MSCs are also valued for being able to regulate immune responses and for their low risk of activating the immune system.5
MSCs can come from various sources like bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adipose (fat) tissue, and the umbilical cord. However, MSCs from the umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) are some of the most effective. They multiply faster than cells from other sources and can differentiate into three primary cell layers, playing a key role in tissue repair. 6 UC-MSCs can enhance immune function by easily moving around the body and collecting in areas that need tissue repair. They also have
Their immunomodulatory effects allow them to move around the body towards tissue damage or inflammation and accumulate in areas that need tissue repair.
They stand out due to their non-invasive collection method, lower infection risk, multipotency, minimal tumor risk, and low immunogenicity (the likelihood of triggering an immune response).7 They’re a less controversial and more convenient option than embryonic and bone marrow stem cells, making them an excellent choice for therapy.
How is UC-MSC transplantation beneficial?
UC-MSC transplants are gaining attention beyond the traditional uses of replenishing bone marrow and boosting the immune system. Research has started to investigate how the many benefits of UC-MSCs can be applied to other health conditions.
For example, a study looking at the effects of COVID-19 on lung damage found that UC-MSCs had significant benefits on patients’ outcomes. Those with a UC-MSC transplant had better lung recovery (measured through a lung CT scan) and walking tests. They also had normal lung scans 1-year after transplant compared to the control group. The research suggests that part of the benefits of the UC-MSC therapy was their ability to reduce “cytokine storms,” which are severe inflammatory responses that can lead to lung damage and promote lung healing through cell repair.8
A review article recently looked at both the clinical applications of UC-MSC therapy and what basic science research tells us about its safety, efficacy, and quality. The report shows that the benefits UC-MSCs have can improve a variety of different medical conditions:
- UC-MSCs reduce inflammation, which is linked to most major health concerns, including liver disease, arthritis, brain and spinal injury, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions.
- They can help repair damaged tissue in organs throughout the body to improve function.
- UC-MSCs can regenerate cells in arthritis, heart disease and spinal cord injuries to help with functional and physical recovery.
- In diabetes, UC-MSCs can support insulin production and balance blood sugar levels as well as help with tissue repair in diabetic foot ulcers.
- Their ability to regulate the immune system by calming the immune response and decreasing activity in cells that over-activate it can help heal and protect against autoimmunity.
The study concluded that UC-MSC transplants are an exciting new field of research in regenerative medicine due to their application in a range of medical conditions. However, more research is needed to better understand how they can be used in different clinical applications.9
Excitingly, there is also evidence that UC-MSC transplantation can have benefits for such complex diseases like cerebral palsy (CP). CP is characterized by movement and posture difficulties caused by brain damage during development. Current treatments are limited because they target symptoms of the disease, not cerebral injury specifically. A clinical trial with 39 children with CP found that in addition to rehabilitation, UC-MSCs transplants significantly improved activities of daily living, comprehensive function, and gross motor skills compared to the control group. PET/CT scans were used to measure glucose metabolism, and found that those who had UC-MSCs transplants has higher levels suggesting improved brain brain function.10
The takeaway
UC-MSC transplantation is an exciting area of medical research with the potential to help improve a variety of complex diseases. The unique properties of these stem cells, such as their ability to reduce inflammation, repair damaged tissues, and regulate immune responses, make them a potent resource for addressing conditions that were previously challenging to manage. As we continue to explore their potential, UC-MSCs could become a cornerstone of regenerative medicine in the years to come.
Resources:
- Organ Donation & Transplantation. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11750-organ-donation-and-transplantation
- Types of Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants. (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/stem-cell-transplant/types-of-transplants.html
- Trounson, A., & McDonald, C. (2015). Stem Cell Therapies in Clinical Trials: Progress and Challenges. Cell stem cell, 17(1), 11–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2015.06.007
- Copelan, E. A. (2006). Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(17), 1813-1826. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra052638
- Li, Z., Hu, X., & Zhong, J. F. (2019). Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Characteristics, Function, and Application. Stem cells international, 2019, 8106818. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8106818
- Nishimura, T., Yamaguchi, S., Yoshimura, K., Rubinstein, P., & Takahashi, T. A. (2011). Isolation and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cord blood: reevaluation of critical factors for successful isolation and high ability to proliferate and differentiate to chondrocytes as compared to mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue. Journal of cellular biochemistry, 112(4), 1206–1218. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.23042
- Nagamura-Inoue, T., & He, H. (2014). Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Their advantages and potential clinical utility. World journal of stem cells, 6(2), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v6.i2.195
- Vu, N. B., & Van Pham, P. (2022). Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for COVID-19 patients: long-term benefits for lung regeneration. Biomedical Research and Therapy, 9(2), 4950-4952. https://bmrat.com/index.php/BMRAT/article/view/725
- Xie, Q., Liu, R., Jiang, J. et al. What is the impact of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on clinical treatment?. Stem Cell Res Ther 11, 519 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-020-02011-z
- Gu, J., Huang, L., Zhang, C., Wang, Y., Zhang, R., Tu, Z., … & Liu, L. (2020). Therapeutic evidence of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for cerebral palsy: a randomized, controlled trial. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 11, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-019-1545-x
