Anti-inflammatory effect of stem cells against spinal cord injury via regulating macrophage polarization

Abstract

Zhijian Cheng, Xijing He Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event that involves not just an acute physical injury but also inflammation-driven secondary injury. Macrophages play a very important role in secondary injury. The effects of macrophages on tissue damage and repair after SCI are related to macrophage polarization. Stem cell transplantation has been studied as a promising treatment for SCI. Recently, increasing evidence shows that stem cells, including mesenchymal stem, neural stem/progenitor, and embryonic stem cells, have an anti-inflammatory capacity and promote functional recovery after SCI by inducing macrophages M1/M2 phenotype transformation. In this review, we will discuss the role of stem cells on macrophage polarization and its role in stem cell-based therapies for SCI. Keywords: stem cells, macrophages, spinal cord injury, polarization

Keywords

• stem cells
• macrophages
• Spinal cord injury
• Polarization