Fig. 3

Potential mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell efficacy in neurodegeneration. Transplanted MSCs may provide therapeutic responses through paracrine effects and cell-to-cell contacts with resident neural cells. The capacity of MSCs to secrete cytokines, growth factors and exosomes could potentially induce and support regeneration processes, including angiogenesis, synaptogenesis, axonal re-myelination and neurogenesis. Because of their immunomodulatory properties, MSCs could attenuate inflammatory responses in the central nervous system by inhibiting maturation and migration of dendritic cells, suppression of lymphocyte activation and proliferation, and by reducing gliosis. Moreover, MSCs possess anti-apoptotic properties, and may limit excitotoxicity by modulating astrocyte functions