Therapeutic potential and mechanisms of stem cells in major depressive disorder: a comprehensive review

Jiaqi Li; Yuqian Wang; Yucheng Zhang; Mengran Liu; Xinao Rong; Jinlan Jiang

doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1476558

Therapeutic potential and mechanisms of stem cells in major depressive disorder: a comprehensive review

Front Pharmacol. 2024 Nov 25:15:1476558. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1476558. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jiaqi Li^#¹, Yuqian Wang^#¹, Yucheng Zhang¹, Mengran Liu¹, Xinao Rong¹, Jinlan Jiang¹

Affiliation

¹ Scientific Research Center, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Depression is a common affective disorder characterized by persistent low mood, diminished interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities, disturbances in sleep patterns, and suicidal ideation. Conventional treatments often yield unsatisfactory results and are associated with several adverse effects. However, emerging literature has highlighted the potential of stem cell (SC) transplantation as a promising avenue for treating depression owing to its favorable anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic properties. This review summarizes the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms associated with SC transplantation in depression, offering a conceptual framework for the future application of SCs in the clinical treatment of depression.

Keywords: depression; immunomodulation; mechanisms; review; stem cells.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82172230), the Jilin Scientific and Technological Development Program (Grant No. 20240205001YY), the Changchun Science and Technology Development Plan Project (Grant No. 21ZGY29), the Jilin Province Health Capacity Enhancement Project (2017F014) and Life Spring AKY Pharmaceuticals (Grant No. 3r2211489430).