Regulatory factors of mesenchymal stem cell migration into injured tissues and their signal transduction mechanisms

Abstract

Adult stem cells hold great promise for wound healing and tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), for example, have been shown to play a role in tissue repair. Research has shown that endogenous bone marrow MSCs or exogenously delivered MSCs migrate to the sites of injury and participate in the repair process. The precise mechanisms underlying migration of MSCs into the injured tissue are still not fully understood, although multiple signaling pathways and molecules were reported, including both chemoattractive factors and endogenous electric fields at wounds. This review will briefly summarize the regulatory facors and signaling transduction pathways involved in migration of MSCs. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the migration of MSCs will help us to develop new stem cell-based therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine.