Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells: A leap toward personalized therapies.

Stem cell transplantation procedures have been used since the 1960's to treat leukemia and other diseases, but due to the risks involved only patients with life threatening illnesses were typically subjected to the transplantation procedure. Stem cell transplantation has now evolved to the point where it is becoming more feasible to use it for non-life-threatening diseases. However, the potential uses for stem cells are still limited by their rarity, and, in the case of allogeneic transplants, graft-vs.-host complications. An evolving alternative to conventional stem cell therapies is induced pluripotent stem-cell derived mesenchymal stem cells (iPSC- MSCs), which have a multi-lineage potential comparable to conventionally acquired mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with the added benefit of being less immunoreactive. However there are still many hurdles left to be overcome before they can be used regularly for personalized therapies. As such, most pre-clinical and clinical trials have used MSCs. This review will focus on recent advancements that have been made regarding the role mesenchymal stem cells play in tumor development and the potential uses iPSC-MSCs may have in future cancer treatment.