Therapeutic Challenges in Sulfur Mustard Induced Pulmonary Complications and Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Sulfur mustard (SM), an alkylating chemical agent, targets several organs, particularly the respiratory system, and results in early and late toxic effects. Currently, there is a considerable lack of adequate medical countermeasures for SM-associated lung injury. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are characterized by their self-renewal properties and differentiation capacity into multiple cell lineages. These features provide MSCs with the unique ability to engraft into injured tissues and exert immunomodulatory and tissue-repairing effects. Recent congruent findings on the usefulness of MSCs in the context of SM-induced pulmonary injury have raised the promise of their therapeutic use; however, their potential protective mechanisms are still unknown. A better understanding of the therapeutic mechanism of MSCs involved in SM-pulmonary injury would help figure out new target options. Accordingly, this study discusses the opportunities and therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs in SM poisoning. Recent advances in the treatment of SM-induced lung injury and the therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs as possible new treatments are highlighted. The PubMed and Scopus databases for published studies on the therapeutic approach of SM-induced lung manifestations were searched with a focus on the therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs.