Mesenchymal stromal cells - a novel therapy for Crohn's Disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are severe intestinal diseases caused by inappropriate activation of mucosal immunity. There is growing interest in the possibility of using novel cell therapies as therapeutic options for inflammatory diseases, and one potential option is mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). These pluripotent stem cells give rise to other stromal lineages (e.g. chondrocytes, adipocytes, myocytes, osteocytes, etc), but also possess potent anti-inflammatory and tissue regeneration properties. This study will test the hypothesis that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) can effectively suppress key pathogenic mechanisms responsible for mediating intestinal inflammation in IBD. The following specific hypotheses will be experimentally tested: 1. MSC will suppress pathogenic immune responses in the gut of IBD patients 2. MSC s will suppress pathogenic responses in key cells implicated in IBD (T-cells, mononuclear phagocytes, ILCs and epithelial cells) 3. MSC will suppress innate and adaptive preclinical models of IBD