The influence of inflammatory cytokines on the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely researched for the function of wound repair and bone regeneration. Numerous evidence have proved that MSCs can differentiate towards osteoblasts, and enhance bone formation, and then directly promote the process of bone regeneration. OBJECTIVE: The researchers' interest in MSCs focuses on the potential of differentiating towards osteoblasts. They suggest that these applications can be significantly influenced by different kinds of inflammatory cytokines. In particular, in the process of bone regeneration, MSCs and inflammatory cytokines interact with each other, and promote the process of bone healing. In this review, we attempt to summarize several inflammatory cytokines that may have influence on the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, including interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (INF-γ), bone morphogenetic proteins(BMPs). Finally, some perspective of the behavior of MSCs in response to inflammatory cytokines are discussed.