Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell for reducing neointimal hyperplasia: a literature review-exploring possible therapeutic use on arteriovenous fistula patient

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to reduce neointimal hyperplasia in animal models. However, current studies about therapeutic use to reduce neointimal hyperplasia mainly utilized bone-marrow and adipose tissuederived mesenchymal stem cells and lack of in vivo testing from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Herein, we explore the potential of the therapeutic use of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to reduce neointimal hyperplasia in patients with arteriovenous fistula. Studies were identified from Scopus, Pubmed, and Google Scholar published between 2000 and 2022. The inclusion criteria for the articles were: (1) written in English, (2) focused on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of neointimal hyperplasia, and (3) animal-controlled studies. Exosome-derived from mesenchymal stem cell studies were excluded. A total of 9 articles were included. Overall, the available evidence suggests that UC-MSCs may be a promising therapeutic option for reducing neointimal hyperplasia in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) patients. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal dosing and administration for their use in clinical practice. Additionally, further studies are required to fully understand the standardization in isolating and characterizing UC-MSCs and their effects on neointimal hyperplasia.