The Roles of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Tumor Therapies

Dear Colleagues,

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied because they can be used as advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). MSCs can be applied in oncology to counteract graft-versus-host disease and as drug delivery vehicles against cancer. MSCs are characterized by the capacity to home into the cancer microenvironment. Evidence from clinical trials was encouraging because product safety was demonstrated, but results regarding MSC-mediated cancer regression were not completely satisfactory. Naïve MSCs can play regenerative roles for neighboring cells and this could promote tumor growth. Therefore, procedures are required to induce in MSCs a clear cytotoxic behavior against cancer cells. Moreover, the amount of infused MSCs homing into the cancer mass is limited; thus, strategies are needed to improve such MSC capacity. The implementation of these and other ways to ameliorate MSC properties will reasonably provide effective cell products for cancer care.

The present Special Issue will accept papers focused on MSCs as tools to ameliorate cancer patient prognosis using results obtained in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. Innovative cancer research on cell-free therapeutic products (exosomes or microvesicles), and submissions considering compliance with guidelines for the clinical-grade manufacturing of ATMPs will be welcome.

Dr. Francesco Agostini
Guest Editor

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• mesenchymal stem cells
• tumor
• cancer patients
• ex vivo cell modification
• cell and gene therapy
• targeted drug delivery
• homing
• migration
• current regulatory guidelines
• MSC therapeutic potential