Potential of stem cells in the treatment of rheumatic disease

Autoimmune diseases represent the failure of normal immune regulatory processes, characterized by activation and expansion of immune cell subsets in response to nonpathogenic stimuli, that are derived from self-antigens. In the last few decades, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation emerged as a rescue therapy for different, severe, refractory autoimmune diseases. The rationale for this therapeutic strategy in autoimmune diseases is the ablation of an aberrant, self-reactive immune system by chemotherapy, and the regeneration of a new and self-tolerant immune system from by transplanted stem cells. In the last few decades, thousands of patients worldwide have received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mostly autologous, as treatment for a severe autoimmune disease with promising results. In this review, the authors report the recent available progresses about potential therapeutic role of stem cells in autoimmune diseases. © 2014 Future Medicine Ltd.