Gene-modified Mesenchymal Stem Cell–based Therapy in Renal Ischemia- Reperfusion Injury

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common syndrome in the clinic and has become a worldwide public health problem. Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) is the most common cause of AKI. So far, effective treatment is still lacking for renal IRI, resulting in a high mortality rate of AKI. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), considered as a promising candidate for tissue repair and regenerative medicine have aroused an increasing concern in recent years for the capacity of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. MSC-based therapy has drawn wide attention for its therapeutic potential in renal IRI. The administrated MSCs can alleviate the renal IRI and improve the renal function for its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation properties. MSCs preferentially migrate into injured sites to play the role of tissue repair. Furthermore, MSCs can modify the microenvironment to promote the recovery of damaged renal tubular cells via paracrine factors. However, the poor kidney-directional homing and poor survival under ischemia environment have limited their beneficial effects. Genetic modification is an effective approach to increase the therapeutic action of MSCs. MSCs are modified with exogenous genes to enhance their innate properties. Here we review the current knowledge of gene-modified MSCs, their biological characteristics and applications in renal IRI.