Potential use of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease – a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease is increasing worldwide and, despite advances in conservative and surgical treatment, a significant proportion of patients do not achieve complete remission and have to undergo repeated surgical procedures. Stem cell therapy is a new alternative to immunomodulatory therapy.
Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature dealing with the use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of IBD. The PubMed database was searched and original studies published between 2015 and 2021 were included.
Results: A total of 80 citations were found, of which 21 clinical studies and 47 experimental studies were included in the review.
Conclusion: The efficacy of MSCs in the treatment of perianal Crohn‘s disease is at least comparable to current therapies. A positive effect of MSC administration has also been demonstrated in animal models of luminal disease or enterocutaneous fistula. The results after systemic administration in IBD patients are still ambiguous.