Mesenchymal Stem Cells as New Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Figure 1

MSC-mediated suppression of immune cells. Through cell-to-cell contact or through producing of soluble factors, MSCs suppress proliferation of effector T cells, attenuate activation and cytokine production in NK and NKT cells, suppress maturation and activation of DCs, and promote the development of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. MSCs: mesenchymal stem cells; IFN-γ: interferon gamma; TNFα: tumor necrosis factor alpha; DCs: dendritic cell; NK; natural killer; PD-1: programmed cell death protein-1; PD-L1/2: programmed death-ligand 1/2; IDO: indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase; NO: nitric oxide, TGF-β: transforming growth factor-β; HGF: hepatocyte growth factor; PGE2: prostaglandin E2; HO: hemeoxygenase; IL-10: interleukin 10; IL-6: interleukin 6; IL-12: interleukin 12; TSG-6: TNF-α-stimulated gene/protein 6; sHLA-G: soluble human leukocyte antigen-G.