Mesenchymal Stem cells in the context of canine atopic dermatitis: A Review

ABSTRACT Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and has a high frequency among dermatological diseases. The interaction of genetic factors, skin and environmental conditions affect the expression of the disease, developing a complex pathology. Current multimodal treatment has numerous adverse effects and variations in its efficacy and safety, demonstrating the need to develop safe and effective therapeutic resources for patients with CAD. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells, with special characteristics, such as self-renewal, immunomodulatory properties, and de-differentiation, making them useful for several clinical problems. The discovery of the immunosuppressive effect of MSCs on T cells has opened the potential for new perspectives with its use as a therapeutic agent for immune diseases, such as CAD. The scarce number of research using the MSC as a treatment for CAD result in the lack of knowledge about the benefits and possible protocols to be followed for the use of this cell therapy. In this review, we highlighted the clinical studies and potential biological mechanisms of MSC-based cell therapy effects attenuating canine atopic dermatitis compared to conventional treatment, which might lead to a safe improvement of the animal’s clinical condition in a short period without causing adverse effects.

摘要：犬类特应性皮炎（Canine atopic dermatitis, CAD）是一种慢性炎症性皮肤病，在皮肤科疾病中发病率较高。遗传因素、皮肤状态与环境条件的相互作用会影响该病的病情表达，进而形成复杂的病理状态。当前的多模式治疗手段存在诸多不良反应，且疗效与安全性存在较大差异，凸显了为犬类特应性皮炎患者开发安全有效治疗资源的迫切需求。间充质干细胞（Mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs）是一类具有自我更新、免疫调节特性及去分化能力等特殊属性的多能细胞，可应用于多种临床病症的治疗。间充质干细胞对T细胞的免疫抑制效应的发现，为其作为免疫性疾病（如犬类特应性皮炎）的治疗制剂开辟了全新的应用前景。目前以间充质干细胞治疗犬类特应性皮炎的相关研究较为匮乏，导致学界对该细胞疗法的获益效果及可行应用方案缺乏足够认知。本综述重点对比传统治疗方案，探讨了基于间充质干细胞的细胞疗法缓解犬类特应性皮炎的临床研究证据及其潜在生物学机制，该疗法或可在短期内安全改善患犬的临床症状，且不会引发不良反应。