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Cells
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Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Therapies: Innovations in Regenerative Medicine and Translational...
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Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Therapies: Innovations in Regenerative Medicine and Translational Applications

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Stem Cells".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1066

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giandomenico Amico

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo, Italy
Interests: hematopoietic cells; human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs); regenerative medicine; T, B and NK lymphocytes
Dr. Paolo Elia Cappella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Champions Oncology Srl, Via Ariosto 21, 20091 Bresso, MI, Italy
Interests: cell biology; immunology; low cytometry; oncology drug development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs), as has been known for years, have extraordinary differentiation potential toward various lineages, namely adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic, as well as hepatic and pancreatic. Furthermore, their immunomodulatory properties make them a promising tool for application in the field of regenerative medicine. Based on extensive in vitro evidence, the immunological effects of MSCs on immune cells may depend on various mechanisms, such as cell-to-cell contact and paracrine signaling. MSCs also release exosomes capable of exerting various effects in a paracrine manner, influencing inflammatory processes.

This Special Issue of Cells will highlight the cell biology and immunology of MSCS through original research articles, reviews, and communications.

Dr. Giandomenico Amico
Dr. Paolo Elia Cappella
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
  • stromal cells
  • microvesicles
  • exosomes
  • extracellular vesicles (EVs)
  • immunomodulatory properties
  • bone marrow
  • adipose tissue
  • Wharton’s jelly
  • cord blood
  • placenta
  • amnion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

17 pages, 1303 KB  
Review
Chondrogenesis of Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
by Harish V. K. Ratna, Madhan Jeyaraman, Naveen Jeyaraman, Arulkumar Nallakumarasamy, Luise Schäfer, Filippo Migliorini and Sathish Muthu
Cells 2026, 15(5), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15050476 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 482
Abstract
Articular cartilage, a highly specialised and avascular tissue, exhibits limited regenerative potential following trauma or degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA). Conventional surgical interventions, including microfracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), have shown limited long-term efficacy due to donor site morbidity and restricted [...] Read more.
Articular cartilage, a highly specialised and avascular tissue, exhibits limited regenerative potential following trauma or degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA). Conventional surgical interventions, including microfracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), have shown limited long-term efficacy due to donor site morbidity and restricted cell proliferation. In this context, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative owing to their multipotency, self-renewal capacity, and low immunogenicity. While bone marrow (BM) remains the traditional source of MSCs, recent studies have reported that peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (PB-MSCs) may possess chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic potential comparable to that of BM-derived MSCs. PB-MSCs can be harvested through minimally invasive methods, thereby avoiding the complications associated with BM aspiration. Experimental evidence indicates that PB-MSCs exhibit strong cell viability, proliferative potential, and the ability to synthesise cartilage-specific extracellular matrix proteins, such as type II collagen and sulphated glycosaminoglycans, within three-dimensional scaffolds. Immunophenotypically, PB-MSCs express mesenchymal markers including CD29, CD44, CD90, and CD105 while lacking hematopoietic markers CD34 and CD45. Flow cytometry analyses reveal that CD105+ populations increase following cryopreservation, highlighting their clinical utility. In contrast to these experimentally defined PB-MSCs, the term peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) is used in clinical studies to describe heterogeneous, non-cultured peripheral blood-derived cell preparations, typically enriched in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells following granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilisation, without full mesenchymal characterisation. In vitro studies confirm successful tri-lineage differentiation, whereas in vivo investigations have demonstrated effective cartilage regeneration using PB-based clinical approaches, including postoperative intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid (HA) combined with PBSCs, as well as implantation of PBSCs covered with a collagen membrane. Furthermore, advancements in biomaterial engineering, such as poly(ethylene glycol)–cysteine–arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (PEG-CRGD) hydrogels, have enhanced PB-MSC adhesion, proliferation, and chondrogenic differentiation while promoting immunomodulation through M2 macrophage polarisation. Despite these promising outcomes, the available evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, with substantial variability in cell definitions, experimental models, and clinical study designs, which currently constrains definitive conclusions regarding clinical efficacy. Future research should focus on optimising isolation protocols, understanding molecular pathways governing PB-MSC chondrogenesis, and standardising clinical applications. Overall, PB-MSCs represent a viable, less invasive, and translationally relevant cell source for cartilage regeneration and regenerative orthopaedic therapies Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Therapies: Innovations in Regenerative Medicine and Translational Applications)
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