Mesenchymal Stem Cells: What We Have Learned and How to Manage Them

Dear Colleagues,

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can be isolated from various tissue sources, including bone marrow, adipose tissue, the umbilical cord, and dental pulp. In recent years, stem-cell-based therapies have been at the forefront of treating various diseases and ailments. MSCs are preferred over other stem cells for their regenerative potential and are currently involved in hundreds of clinical studies. Another important aspect is their use in transplants. Their therapeutic effect is partly manifested through direct cell-mediated mechanisms, but mainly through paracrine effects that depend on the secretion of bioactive molecules contained in the so-called "secretomes". The action of the secretome is attributed to trophic factors, mRNAs, miRNAs and cytokines that can play neuroprotective, anti- or pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory roles. There are many biological aspects concerning MSCs that are yet to be fully understood. These include the challenges related to the aging of MSCs, their differentiation potential, their distribution in the target tissue and, of course, their safe use. 

Dr. Nadia Lampiasi
Guest Editor

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. Biology 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.