TY - JOUR ID - 18722 TI - Mesenchymal stem cells in cancer therapy; the art of harnessing a foe to a friend JO - Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences JA - IJBMS LA - en SN - 2008-3866 AU - Karimi-Shahri, Mehdi AU - Javid, Hossein AU - Sharbaf Mashhad, Alireza AU - Yazdani, Shaghayegh AU - Hashemy, Seyed Isaac AD - Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran AD - Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Varastegan Institute for Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran AD - Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran AD - Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ilam Institute for Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran AD - Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of ‎Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Y1 - 2021 PY - 2021 VL - 24 IS - 10 SP - 1307 EP - 1323 KW - Carcinogenesis KW - Mesenchymal stem cells KW - Molecular targeted therapies KW - Neoplasm Tumor microenvironment DO - 10.22038/ijbms.2021.58227.12934 N2 - For a long time, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were discussed only as stem cells which could give rise to different types of cells. However, when it became clear that their presence in the tumor microenvironment (TME) was like a green light for tumorigenesis, they emerged from the ashes. This review was arranged to provide a comprehensive and precise description of MSCs’ role in regulating tumorigenesis and to discuss the dark and the bright sides of cancer treatment strategies using MSCs.To gather the details about MSCs, we made an intensive literature review using keywords, including MSCs, tumor microenvironment, tumorigenesis, and targeted therapy. Through transferring cytokines, growth factors, and microRNAs, MSCs maintain the cancer stem cell population, increase angiogenesis, provide a facility for cancer metastasis, and shut down the anti-tumor activity of the immune system. Although MSCs progress tumorigenesis, there is a consensus that these cells could be used as a vehicle to transfer anti-cancer agents into the tumor milieu. This feature opened a new chapter in MSCs biology, this time from the therapeutic perspective. Although the data are not sufficient, the advent of new genetic engineering methods might make it possible to engage these cells as Trojan horses to eliminate the malignant population. So many years of investigation showed that MSCs are an important group of cells, residing in the TME, studying the function of which not only could add a delicate series of information to the process of tumorigenesis but also could revolutionize cancer treatment strategies. UR - https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_18722.html L1 - https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_18722_049d9a68b5085c4e2a102f15f2670583.pdf ER -