近日，科学家发现了多发性硬化症（MS）的一种很有前途的新疗法，利用人类胚胎干细胞治疗多发性硬化症（MS）。研究人员表明，胚胎干细胞(hESC) 来源的间充质干细胞(hES-MSC)治疗能显著降低动物模型MS疾病的严重程度，与人骨髓间充质干细胞(BM-MSC)治疗相比能提供更好的治疗效果。

人类胚胎干细胞的另一个优点是，它们可以无限地在实验室培养增殖，并充当高品质的间充质干细胞的无限来源，而间充质干细胞是治疗MS需要的一种干细胞。目前，骨髓间充质干细胞(BM-MSC)已用于多发性硬化症的临床实验中，但由于供体骨髓供应有限，质量参差不齐。而hESC可在实验室中无限扩增，易于质控，单一的hESC株可连续分化成稳定的MSC，因此很符合临床大规模无菌生产的要求。

目前还没有方法治愈MS（一种慢性神经炎症性疾病，其机体的免疫系统“蚕食”髓磷脂，髓磷脂的破坏会干扰脑，脊髓和身体其它区域之间的通信）。当前MS的治疗仅是缓解疼痛，并通过抑制炎症减缓疾病的进展。

这种新型的间充质干细胞的优点在MS模型中有着显著更高的疗效，该小组的研究结果刊登在Stem Cell Reports杂志上。

原文摘要：

Human ESC-Derived MSCs Outperform Bone Marrow MSCs in the Treatment of an EAE Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Xiaofang Wang, Erin A. Kimbrel7, Kumiko Ijichi, Debayon Paul, Adam S. Lazorchak, Jianlin Chu, Nicholas A. Kouris, Gregory J. Yavanian, Shi-Jiang Lu, Joel S. Pachter, Stephen J. Crocker, Robert Lanzaemail, Ren-He Xuemail.

Current therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) are largely palliative, not curative. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harbor regenerative and immunosuppressive functions, indicating a potential therapy for MS, yet the variability and low potency of MSCs from adult sources hinder their therapeutic potential. MSCs derived from human embryonic stem cells (hES-MSCs) may be better suited for clinical treatment of MS because of their unlimited and stable supply. Here, we show that hES-MSCs significantly reduce clinical symptoms and prevent neuronal demyelination in a mouse experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) model of MS, and that the EAE disease-modifying effect of hES-MSCs is significantly greater than that of human bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). Our evidence also suggests that increased IL-6 expression by BM-MSCs contributes to the reduced anti-EAE therapeutic activity of these cells. A distinct ability to extravasate and migrate into inflamed CNS tissues may also be associated with the robust therapeutic effects of hES-MSCs on EAE.