Autologous versus allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell therapy: The pros and cons
Nisha Durand, Abba C. Zubair
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been the subject of countless clinical studies for a wide variety of pathologies, from Crohn’s disease to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The results from these MSC-based clinical studies have established that MSCs are safe, but MSC efficacy has not been as well established, with very few studies progressing to phase 2 or 3. The varied outcomes of MSCs in clinical studies is an area of intense and active investigation, and several factors have been identified as critical determinants of MSC response patterns. Although dosing regimen, route of delivery, inadequate preclinical animal models, clinical trial design, and cell manufacturing techniques undoubtedly influence MSC efficacy in clinical settings, the benefits of autologous versus allogeneic therapy in the context of clinical outcomes remains a hotly debated topic in the MSC field. Although autologous and allogeneic approaches have their own merits and limitations, in terms of biological fitness, logistics, and expenditure, the allogeneic approach is superior.