ABSTRACT
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can inhibit T cell proliferation, the effects of MSCs on various T cell subsets have showed different immune regulatory reactions, and their mechanisms mainly include cell-cell contact and mediation by cytokines secreted from MSCs. Encouragingly, recent studies have showed that the effects of MSCs on T-cell response to pathogens is not significant, but can obviously suppress T cell response to allogeneic antigens. In addition, MSCs can regulate the proliferation, survival, antibody secretion and differentiation of B cells, inhibit the production, proliferation, migration and antigen-presentation of DCs, and modulate the differentiation and maturation of DCs, and regulate the proliferation, cell toxicity and cytokine secretion of NK cells. In this review, the research advances on immunomodulatory effects of MSCs on various immune cells including T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, NK cells and DCs are summarized with emphasis on the immunoregulatory effects of MSCs on T-lymphocytes.