Therapeutic potential of the MSC secretome

In the last two decades, MSCs have gained substantial attention as a potential source for regenerative therapy. This is due to several reasons such as the ability to isolate using non-invasive techniques, the cell’s ability to divide into several lineages including those of non-mesodermal origin and the absence of HLA-DR on the surface of the cell. However, immune rejection is still a possibility in the case of MSC transplant and several studies have reported low survivability of these cells in the transplanted tissue. A remedy to this is the use of the MSC secretome which contains molecules released by the cells for immunomodulation and other regulatory behaviours. Interest in the secretome has been increasing with several studies reporting similar regenerative potential when compared to the cells themselves. This review contains a brief account of the therapeutic effects of the MSC secretome in the case of bone, musclular & neural regeneration.