Role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in Crohn's disease

Many trials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been published in the past 5-6 y. MSCs inhibit T-cell alloreactivity in vitro by soluble factors and direct cell-to-cell contact. They are safe to infuse in humans with no acute toxicity and no ectopic tissue formation. Promising results of MSC infusion for graft-vs.-host disease and fistulizing Crohn's disease (CD) have been published. Treatment of CD requires a comprehensive treatment approach to maintain symptomatic control, improve health-related quality-of-life measures, and minimize complications from the disease. In this review, we will discuss the results of clinical trials using a novel treatment in the form of MSCs for treatment of CD and related complications. Success of these phase I, II, and III trials have set the stage for usage of this novel treatment for children with CD.