Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Biological and Therapeutic Perspectives

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a syndrome of abrupt decline in renal function induced by a number of different insults. In clinic, the common etiology for ARF is ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The pathophysiological process of renal IRI is complex, there is no good treatment. Stem cell therapy is a new and promising treatment for renal IRI. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to differentiate into tissues of mesodermal lineages. MSCs are under intensive study as potential therapeutic strategy for renal IRI. MSCs have been investigated with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and tissue repair properties which could attenuate ischemic injury and accelerate the regeneration process in the condition of renal IRI. Moreover, the MSCs have the ability to migrate to the injury sites and to stimulate repair by paracrine mechanisms rather by differentiating into the injured cells. Here we review the latest information on MSCs, their biological characteristics, including their therapeutic perspectives, and envisage their putative role in renal ischaemic conditioning.