Mesenchymal stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent adult stem cells harboring a wide range of differentiations and non-human leukocyte antigen-restricted immunosuppressive properties that lead to an increasing use of MSC in immunomodulation and in regenerative medicine. To produce MSC, definitive standards are still lacking. Whatever the starting material used (e.g., bone marrow, adipose tissue, or cord blood), numerous parameters including cell plating density, number of passages, and culture medium, play a major role in the culture process and have to be determined. To date, the different production processes have been effective, and based on phenotypic analysis and differentiation potential, a first set of simple controls have been defined. However, controls of the final product should provide precise data on efficacy and safety. The next challenge will be to develop production processes that reach good manufacturing practices goals and to define more accurate control methods of cultivated MSC.